The visitors struggled to contain Werder from the start and the sending-off of Olaf Lindenbergh in the 24th minute, following two bad tackles in quick succession, left them with little hope at a rainy Weserstadion.

They managed to cling on until three minutes into the second half when Per Mertesacker popped up unmarked to score from a Torsten Frings corner.

Naldo headed in a second six minutes later, as substitute Vurnon Anita failed to clear off the line, and Frings made it 3-0 in the 71st minute.

Werder had given holders Barcelona a real scare before bowing out in the group phase of the Champions League and they duly went through to the UEFA Cup as one of the favourites.

They certainly looked a far better side than Ajax, both before and after the sending-off.

Naldo almost gave them the lead in the fourth minute when his driven free kick smacked against a post.

Ajax hopes of threatening the Werder goal were all but ended by the red card for Lindenbergh, which followed a late tackle on Clemens Fritz and a kick from behind on Frings.

It was all about damage limitation from then on for Ajax and the visitors did a good job until the break.

The game was up immediately afterwards, though, when Mertesacker was left unmarked at a corner to sweep home.

Werder got their second when Naldo rose to head goalwards from around the penalty spot. Anita blocked the Brazilian's header but sadly for Ajax he was standing well behind the line when he did so and the referee awarded the goal.

Ajax created little but they should have got one back soon afterwards when Hedwiges Maduro got the ball under control in the area only to scuff his shot and give Tim Wiese an easy save. Frings then underlined Werder's superiority when he took a Klose pass and stroked in, with Johnny Heitinga just failing to clear.

Werder should really have added more goals -- Diego and Hugo Almeida both missed sitters in the final 20 minutes -- but coach Thomas Schaaf was not about to complain after the team bounced back from two successive league defeats.

"We showed tonight that we're back on form," Schaaf told reporters. "We really had them up against it."