Ajax kept their flickering hopes of progress in the Champions League alive with a dramatic late win in rain-soaked Villareal.

Oliver Edvardsen came off the bench to snatch an 89th-minute winner as he tucked away a through ball by Anton Gaaei. The Scandinavians duo been put up for sale by Ajax as the club looks to boost its coffers in the transfer window.

An entertaining first half ended goalless, partly thanks to Vitaslav Jaros’ heroics in the Ajax goal as he pulled off fine stops to deny Sergi Cardona and Nicolas Pepe.

The home side took the lead four minutes after the break, as Tani Oluwaseyi beat Aaron Bouwman to a long ball and hit a first-time shot over the flailing Jaros.

The match was delayed for five minutes immediately after the goal while a steward received medical attention.

Ajax went on the offensive, knowing only a win would preserve their slender chances of reaching the qualifying stages, and just after the hour they were rewarded when Oskar Gloukh’s free-kick was diverted into the net by a defender’s head.

As the minutes ticked down Gloukh scuffed a chance from close-range, though video replays suggested he may have strayed offside. The striker was replaced with six minutes left by Edvardsen, and it was the Norwegian who provided the heroics with his first shot at goal.

The result leaves Ajax three points behind four clubs above the play-off line, all of whom have a considerably better goal difference, so Fred Grim’s side will need to beat Olympiacos in their final group game in Amsterdam by a convincing margin and hope other results go their way.