Huntelaar opened the scoring in the third qualifying round first leg match after 38 minutes by diverting Thomas Vermaelen's header past Copenhagen's goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen.

The home side put up a tough fight well into the second half but failed to convert several chances early in the match and tired as the game wore on.

FC Copenhagen's Norwegian defender Brede Hangeland equalised in the second minute of added time at the end of the first half when he headed home a free kick from Tobias Linderoth.

The goal raised Danish hopes of having a manageable task in the return match in the Netherlands in two weeks' time, but Huntelaar struck again six minutes from the end by driving the ball past Christiansen from close range.

That goal all but dashed FC Copenhagen's chances of becoming the third Danish team ever to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League since the Danes will have to score at least twice in Amsterdam on Aug. 23 to go through.

"It's going to be difficult but I believe we can do it in Amsterdam in 14-days' time," FC Copenhagen's Norwegian coach Stale Solbakken told a news conference.

Ajax coach Henk ten Cate was confident his club, which won the 1995 Champions league, would qualify for the next stage.

"They (Copenhagen) made a great effort today, but in the end we beat them 2-1 and that's what counts," he said.

Last season Ajax finished fourth, a massive 24 points behind champions PSV Eindhoven, but reached the Champions League third qualifying round after winning a domestic playoff competition.