Atlético Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by Zenit St Petersburg, although they are already through to the knockout stage.
Adrián gave Atlético the lead early in the second half against the run of play and then Alderweireld put the ball into his own net to level the match.
Ajax were two goals up by half time thanks to strikes from Serero and Hoesen before Xavi converted a penalty just after the restart. Ajax were reduced to ten men but managed to hold on under extreme pressure to win the match, the first defeat for manager Gerado Martino.