Marseille gain slim UEFA Cup lead over Ajax

LONDON: Olympique Marseille let 10-man Ajax Amsterdam off the hook in a UEFA Cup first leg meeting of former European champions on Thursday, while holders Zenit St Petersburg suffered a 2-0 defeat at Udinese.

Ajax fell 2-0 behind in the first leg of the last 16 tie before grabbing a lifeline with a Luis Suarez penalty.

It was a testament to their character that they managed to avoid any further trouble despite playing the entire second half with 10 men.