LADY LUCK SMILES ON LIVERPOOL
Reds seal win with freak Ajax own goal
Liverpool were never going to fall apart without their talisman. Yet virgil van Dijk’s absence was felt in Amsterdam, despite an important victory.
There are better sides in this competition than Ajax, teams that will test liverpool’s defence to its limit. last night it held firm. m. Fabinho, in particular, was impressive. esod Adrian made some good saves, despite early wobbles. And d Andrew robertson was his usual l marauding self, as was Trent Alexander-Arnold as the game wore on.
Yet more than two months separate liverpool from the January transfer window when Jurgen Klopp may wish to bolster his numbers, no matter how well the residents are doing. And d it needed a freakish own goal to win this. Ajax will think they did enough to earn a draw.
The lack of numbers at the back, k with Joel Matip also out, has a knock-on effect, too. Fabinho was switched from his midfield role, Curtis Jones drafted in for his european debut. Yet at half-time the young man was replaced by Jordan Henderson as Klopp looked to hold what he had. The coach spent even more of the game than usual bellowing, whether at the officials or his own men it was hard to say, there was so much of it.
With the games coming in a torrent, Klopp has little option but to manage game time. in the 60th minute, he replaced his entire front three: Mohamed Salah, roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane off, Diogo Jota, Takumi Minamoto and Xherdan Shaqiri on. it was plainly pre-arranged. Had liverpool been chasing the game, who knows?
But they led by that time and Klopp clearly felt his A team needed a rest. Given the other teams in this group, he will regard this result as hugely important.
it is to liverpool’s credit then, that they recorded a win and a clean sheet in the first game without the stricken van Dijk. Ajax were nice to watch, as always, and created the better chances, but liverpool kept them at arm’s length for long periods. Quincy promes had a shot saved by Adrian after 59 minutes but Ajax faded, despite sending on a succession of forwards.
indeed, it was the Dutch who looked likely to succeed late on, struck on the counter attack. Goalkeeper Andre onana is rarely entirely convincing either, a good save from Minamino swiftly followed by a chaotic clearance almost charged down by Jota. liverpool have one quite similar in Adrian, though, mind you.
it is the first time since 1984-85 that liverpool have entered europe’s most prestigious tournament as english champions — they did win it after that, but during the time of the european ban — so this result has resonance. The rest of the tournament will take note, but it does not tell the whole story. liverpool were solid, more thanb exceptional, and certainly their luck in the first half.
As unfortunate as liverpool were last weekend, so the balance was redressed in their favour in the first half here. They led, pretty much against the balance of play, and despite looking rather fragile at the back. Not everybody. robertson has been a rock since van Dijk’s injury, simply by continuing to play his normal game, while Fabinho’s battlefield promotion to centre half with Matip also absent continues to reveal hidden depths to his talents.
Yet Adrian remains unconvincing and when he got into a terrible mix-up with Joe Gomez after just two minutes it confirmed the certainty liverpool have lost. Gomez was shepherding the ball back and clearly wanted Adrian to stay home to receive the pressure-alleviating pass. Adrian had other ideas and came haring out, trying to make a substantial hoofed clearance upfield with Gomez in the way, the ball instead ricocheting out for a throw-in.
There were other moments of vulnerability. in the 15th minute, Adrian dawdled too long over a clearance and saw it charged down by Dusan Tadic — fortuitously spinning away from goal rather than towards it.
And yet it was a panicked defensive error by Ajax that gave liverpool the lead after 35 minutes at a time when they had barely created a chance of their own. What a strange goal it was. Sadio Mane was actually trying a shot when he took a chunk of the arena turf out with his toe like a 24-handicapper. The ball spun off and was actually heading out for a throw in, when it reached Nicolas Tagliafico. The defender somehow got his feet mixed up and diverted it past goalkeeper onana, into his own net.
it was a staggering moment, and another almost followed after 44 minutes when Mane crossed and this time perr Schuurs almost sent it past onana. Ajax’s goalkeeper had little to do until that point. Maybe his team-mates thought he was bored. A header from roberto Firmino from a robertson corner — powerful but straight at him — was the only occasion liverpool tested the Cameroonian before half-time.
Adrian, meanwhile, had to be on his guard, particularly when Tadic was around. The former Southampton man was at the heart of much that was good about Ajax, as usual. it was his cross after 16 minutes that set up lisandro Martinez at the far post, but the Argentinian’s header was snaffled by Adrian.
Quincy promes, on as a substitute for the luckless Mohammed Kudus — who suffered a ninthminute knee injury, landing awkwardly after a challenge from Fabinho — teed up ryan Gravenberch in the 21st minute, his shot travelling just wide. And soon after when promes combined with David Neres in a succession of neat passes, Adrian saved smartly from close range.
Yet Ajax came closest either side of half-time, when Fabinho’s alertness as a defender proved invaluable. it was Tadic again, put through one on one, and lobbing Adrian beautifully. Somehow,
though, Fabinho got there, hooping the ball away inches from the line with a spectacular overhead kick. It was the sort of bold, responsible defending we have come to expect from van Dijk.
What happened in the second half was more luck than judgement. Davy Klaassen, late of f Merseyside with Everton, struck a shot which defeated Adrian but not the outside of the post. Just as well, really. Liverpool have suffered enough at the hands of Evertonians these last few days.