Ajax claimed a superior 4-1 lead over Lyon in the first leg of the 2017 Europa League semi-final at the Amsterdam ArenA on Wednesday.
Goals from Isidore Traore and Kasper Dolberg grabbed a solid first-half advantage for the Dutch masters, and Amin Younes' strike four minutes after the restart strangled the visitors.
Mathieu Valbuena's finish gave the French team hope midway through the second half, but a second goal from Traore restored the three-goal cushion in a thrilling encounter.
Ajax manager Peter Bosz reshuffled his defence from the quarter-finals after the suspensions of Joel Veltman and Nick Viergever, as Kenny Tete and Jairo Riedewald were drafted in for the Netherlands side.