Oxlade-Chamberlain lifts Liverpool over Genk
Chelsea and 9-man Ajax share spoils in 4-4 thriller • Toothless Barca draws blank at home to Slavia
LONDON (Reuters) – European champion Liverpool moved within one step of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stage with a 2-1 win over Belgium’s Genk at Anfield late Tuesday night.
The win leaves Liverpool, which fielded a weakened side ahead of Sunday’s top-of-the-table Premier League clash with Manchester City, top of Group E with nine points.
Liverpool, with forwards Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane named as substitutes, took the lead in the 14th minute with a close-range effort from Georginio Wijnaldum after James Milner’s low cross from the left bounced off Sebastien Dewaest and fell to the Dutchman who scooped home.
Juergen Klopp’s side had several chances to extend the lead, but was pegged back four minutes before the break, when Ally Mbwana Samatta met a Bryan Heynen corner with a superbly-angled near-post header.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, playing in a less familiar advanced role, restored the home side’s advantage in the 53rd minute, collecting a neat pass from Mohamed Salah on the edge of the box and beating Genk keeper Gaetan Coucke with a low drive on the turn.
Liverpool was comfortably in control from then on, but ’keeper Alisson Becker had to be alert nine minutes from the end to push out a dangerous shot from Heynen.
In other action, Chelsea and nineman Ajax Amsterdam battled to an incident-packed 4-4 draw in Group H, with the hosts coming back from 4-1 down after scoring two own goals.
The result left both teams and Valencia,
which beat bottom side Lille 4-1, on seven points at the top of the standings in a battle for two places in the last-16.
Ajax looked faster and slicker from the outset at Stamford Bridge. Only two minutes into the game Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta gave away a free kick and Tammy Abraham deflected Quincy Promes’s whipped cross into his own net.
Less than three minutes later, Chelsea was level after US forward Christian Pulisic surged into the Ajax area and was brought down. Jorginho calmly slotted home the penalty, sending ’keeper Andre Onana the wrong way.
But Ajax, which had won its last five Champions League away games, looked dangerous going forward. It was rewarded in the 20th when Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech spun an inch-perfect cross into the area and Promes dived low to head it home.
Another free kick led to Ajax’s third. Ziyech sent the ball from near the corner flag curling and spinning towards the far post where ’keeper Kepa failed to track it. The ball rebounded off the woodwork and went into the net off Kepa’s face.
Chelsea came out flying after the break and looked to be building momentum, but home hopes seemed crushed in the 55th when Ajax’s wingers broke from their own half and Ziyech squared the ball for midfielder Donny van de Beek to poke home for 4-1.
Azpilicueta got a goal back for the hosts with a close range flick in the 63rd and soon after Stamford Bridge erupted.
Daley Blind was sent off for a second foul and Joel Veltman also saw red for a second infraction after handling in the area and arguing with referee Gianluca Rocchi.
Jorginho scored his second penalty in the 71st minute and Chelsea’s substitute defender Reece James cut through Ajax’s depleted defense with an angled shot three minutes later.
Azpilicueta then had a goal ruled out for a handball in the area as Chelsea fought for a winner in a stirring last 15 minutes, but Ajax held out to share the spoils.
Elsewhere, Barcelona’s patchy form continued as it was unable to break down a diligent and bold Slavia Prague side at home and was held to a 0-0 draw.
With Luis Suarez injured, Barca lacked a cutting edge in attack and visiting goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar produced an admirable display to shut out the Catalans, thwarting Lionel Messi and Sergi Roberto from close range in the second half.
Messi also struck a post in the first half and Barca later had an effort by Arturo Vidal ruled out for offside against the Argentine.
The Czechs, who were unfortunate to lose 2-1 at home to Barca two weeks ago, made a bright start and nearly took an early lead with a heavily deflected shot which was repelled by the Catalans’ goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Barca, which fell to a shock 3-1 defeat away to Levante in La Liga on Saturday, leads Group F on eight points after four games, while Slavia is bottom with two.
Olympique Lyonnais revived its hopes of reaching the last-16 when first-half goals by Joachim Andersen and Memphis Depay helped secure a 3-1 win over Benfica, while Borussia Dortmund defender Achraf Hakimi produced a blistering individual performance as he scored twice to help his side overhaul a two-goal deficit and beat Inter Milan 3-2 at home in Group F.
RESULTS
Champions League group-stage results:
Tuesday: Barcelona 0, Slavia Prague 0; Borussia Dortmund 3, Inter Milan 2; Liverpool 2, Genk 1; Napoli 1, Salzburg 1; Zenit St. Petersburg 0, RB Leipzig 2; Lyon 3, Benfica 1; Chelsea 4, Ajax 4; Valencia 4, Lille 1. Wednesday: Lokomotiv Moscow vs Juventus (late); Real Madrid vs Galatasaray (late); Paris Saint-Germain vs Club Brugge (late); Atalanta vs Manchester City (late); Dinamo Zagreb vs Shakhtar Donetsk (late); Red Star Belgrade vs Tottenham Hotspur (late); Bayern Munich vs Olympiacos; Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid (late).