Ajax put themselves on the brink of qualification for the last 32 with a comfortable Europa League win away to nine-man Dinamo Zagreb.

Marko Pantelic scored the opener after 14 minutes and Demy de Zeeuw added a second in first-half stoppage time.

By that time Dinamo were already down to 10 men after Leandro Cufre was dismissed for serious foul play, and it got worse for the hosts when Adrian Calello picked up a second yellow card 17 minutes from time.

It was a miserable night for Dinamo, who were forced to play the game behind closed doors because of the crowd disturbances in the match against Timisoara last month which also saw them deducted three points, subject to appeal.

The night's results put Ajax and Anderlecht six points clear of Timisoara in Group A.

Dinamo, who could have received a pasting without some fine saves by Tomislav Butina, are out of the reckoning, assuming their points deduction stands.

In the fourth minute, Butina fisted clear a shot by Pantelic and at the other end, Pedro Morales' effort presented Maarten Stekelenburg with an easy save.

Ajax went ahead after 14 minutes, with Urby Emanuelson at the heart of it.

The Holland winger sent in an excellent free-kick from the left and Pantelic was on hand to finish from six yards.

In the 17th minute, Ilija Sivonjic tested Stekelenburg, the Ajax goalkeeper holding his low shot.

He was forced again to save from Jorge Sammir on 22 minutes, before Suarez wasted a decent chance for Ajax to double their lead.

A couple of corners caused trouble for the hosts, first Toby Alderweireld heading over, then Jan Vertonghen seeing his effort saved by Butina.

But things got worse for Dinamo when Cufre was dismissed 10 minutes before the break for seemingly using an elbow on Luis Suarez.

Two minutes later, Sivonjic's shot lacked conviction before Emanuelson saw his strike parried by Butina.

But it was 2-0 on the stroke of half-time when De Zeeuw planted a neat header past Butina after Suarez crossed from the right.

Suarez came close to getting on the scoresheet himself just past the hour mark after being played in by De Zeeuw, but Butina did well to turn the ball behind for a corner.

Calello then picked up a second yellow for a hard challenge on De Zeeuw and it was only Butina who prevented Dinamo from losing by more, keeping out Pantelic and twice denying substitute Mitchell Donald.

Teams:

Dinamo Zagreb Butina, Tomecak, Vrdoljak (Chago 47), Cufre,Kovac, Lovren, Calello, Etto, Sammir, Morales (Barbaric 42),Sivonjic (Ibanez 78).

Subs Not Used: Picak, Kramaric, Slepicka, Papadopoulos.

Sent Off: Cufre (36), Calello (73).

Booked: Calello, Lovren.

Ajax Stekelenburg, Van Der Wiel, Emanuelson (Sulejmani 77),Alderweireld, Enoh (Donald 64), De Jong,Vertonghen (Oleguer 80), Anita, De Zeeuw, Suarez, Pantelic.

Subs Not Used: Vermeer, Silva, Cvitanich, Bakircioglu.

Booked: Emanuelson, Donald.

Goals: Pantelic 14, De Zeeuw 45.

Att: 0

Ref: Mike Dean (England).