Liverpool win over Ajax hints early Champions League setback was a blip. How much further can Reds go?

AMSTERDAM -- Liverpool ran retired 3-0 victors against Ajax successful Amsterdam arsenic they confirmed their spot successful the last 16 of the Champions League.

Ajax started the lucifer the amended of the 2 sides and should've been 2-0 up aft 35 minutes, but it was Liverpool who went into the interruption 1-0 to the bully and against the tally of play aft Mohammed Salah chipped past an on-rushing Remko Pasveer.

The 2nd fractional saw Liverpool instrumentality power of the lucifer and they added 2 much done the caput of Darwin Nunez and different from Harvey Elliott, who hammered location their third. By that point, Ajax fans started to wantonness their seats and filter retired of the Dutch stadium.

- Report: Ajax vs. Liverpool | UEFA Champions League table | Upcoming fixtures

Liverpool volition request a immense triumph against Napoli adjacent week astatine Anfield if they are to apical Group A. For Ajax, this decision marks the extremity to their Champions League tally and they request a constituent against Rangers if they are to unafraid a spot successful the Europa League.

ESPN's Tom Hamilton has much absorption and investigation from Johan Cruyff Stadium.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. After dilatory commencement successful Champions League, occupation done for Liverpool

Had you offered this result of qualifying for the knockout stages with a crippled to play to Jurgen Klopp backmost precocious evening connected Sept. 7, he'd person taken it successful a heartbeat. Back past he'd conscionable seen his Liverpool squad illness to a 4-1 decision to Napoli successful their radical opener. It looked to beryllium a world cheque but successful this play of mixed fortunes and outlier results, it was the lone blip to their Champions League run truthful acold this term.

Liverpool were fortunate astatine times connected Wednesday evening. Steven Berghuis should've scored aft conscionable 2 minutes but deed the station from conscionable yards retired with Alisson to beat, portion Dusan Tadic had a large accidental blocked by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Both came successful the archetypal 35 minutes -- the unusual divided 2nd serendipitous displacement and Liverpool would've been 2-0 down.

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But past came those moments which alteration matches, and sometimes seasons. Jordan Henderson's delightful, bewitching walk recovered Salah who dinked it implicit the on-rushing Pasveer to springiness Liverpool that 1-0 pb successful the 42nd minute. From determination they added 2 much aboriginal connected successful the 2nd fractional and Ajax were chasing shadows, incapable to unrecorded up to the bushed of the drum demanding much from their unwavering supporters.

This was a lawsuit of occupation done for Klopp. There were immoderate concerning moments arsenic the defence opened up, but determination were acold much acquainted sights of Liverpool past and contiguous arsenic they were objective successful beforehand of goal. A 3-0 triumph astatine Ajax is not thing to downplay and progressing to the knockout stages with a crippled to spare is simply a feat fixed wherever they started.

2. Liverpool stalwarts present again, but immoderate vulnerabilities show

Liverpool had the aged staples of relatability to convey for this victory.

The spine of this squad saw them through. Van Dijk was coagulated astatine centre back, Henderson awesome successful that wide near conduit spot successful midfield and helium dovetailed good with Andy Robertson. Salah had 1 first-half accidental and took it and helium helped tee up Elliott's extremity with a fantastic pass.

Anchoring it each was Alisson astatine the backmost successful his 200th quality for the club. This was his 90th cleanable expanse and you cannot underplay conscionable however important a signing helium has been for the club. He's been the fulcrum for this radical and was faultless connected his milestone appearance. On specified foundations, titles person been won.

While the aged faithfuls are inactive delivering, Fabinho's signifier remains a interest portion Nunez enactment successful a show that mixed a hellhole of a batch of running, an alarming miss, and a objective finish. It's removing the mediate of those 3 traits that volition stay Klopp's objective. Nunez's first-half miss was mediocre for a striker of his standards (Roberto Firmino squared the shot to springiness Nunez a tap-in, but helium someway recovered the ft of the post, alternatively of the country of Pasveer's goal) but helium took his second-half extremity well, arsenic helium stooped to motion a Robertson country home.

While Nunez tin frustrate and exhilarate successful the blink of an eye, elsewhere Harvey Elliott is increasing into his relation connected the close broadside of Liverpool's midfield. He was fantastic against Ajax and afloat deserved his goal.

Klopp's Liverpool person been looking for consistency this season, a quest summed up by their past 4 matches earlier contiguous arsenic they defeated Rangers, Man City and West Ham, lone to past suffer to Nottingham Forest. But this was a lucifer wherever it was a acquainted show successful the second-half arsenic Liverpool frustrated the opposition, deed them with a one-two punch of objective finishing and came distant with a convincing victory.

3. Ajax look to beryllium a broadside successful transition

One of Ajax's adopted nine anthems is Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" and arsenic Elliott's changeable flew past Pasveer to enactment Liverpool 3-0 up, the louder the assemblage sang it. While Liverpool celebrated, the Ajax supporters roseate successful crescendo, launching Marley's iconic opus into the nighttime air. It was little a ceremonial march, much a rousing reminder of what's expected from the nine -- but besides a realisation of wherever they are at.

Ajax's Champions League hopes are implicit for this twelvemonth arsenic they look to the Europa League, but you tin spot this is simply a squad successful transition. They could've easy gone into the interruption ahead, but alternatively paid for profligacy successful beforehand of goal, and ended up incapable to pin Liverpool back. Losing 4 radical matches is simply a mediocre instrumentality but it's symptomatic of wherever they are.

"Last clip it was a antithetic group," said Ajax guardant Dusan Tadic aft Wednesday's match. "We changed a batch of players but this is not a crushed to suffer a batch of games with this difference. This crippled should spell successful antithetic absorption if we marque goals -- it'd been a wholly hard crippled had we done that."

The Ajax exemplary is to prioritise youth, and enlistee astutely but adjacent they couldn't person planned for a summertime wherever they ended up losing Andre Onana, Antony, Nicolas Tagliafico, Lisandro Martinez, Sebastien Haller, Ryan Gravenberch and their manager Erik 10 Hag. The replacements person experienced mixed fortunes to their commencement of beingness astatine Ajax -- though Steven Bergwijn, Brian Brobbey and Calvin Bassey looked settled against Liverpool, right-back Jorge Sanchez struggled portion the caller faces were connected the seat having not yet settled.

That'll springiness the powers that beryllium immoderate nutrient for thought successful the corridors of Ajax. Alfred Schreuder's tenure astatine Ajax has picked up successful caller weeks aft a dilatory start, but this squad isn't yet backmost up to the level we saw from the radical that reached the semifinals successful 2019, oregon won each of their six radical signifier matches past term. There's a rebuild successful advancement astatine Ajax but determination is plentifulness of crushed for anticipation and optimism. Though this was the oldest XI Ajax person fielded successful the Champions League -- coming successful astatine 27 years and 295 days -- for a nine that prides itself connected its academy and youth, their standout subordinate was 1 of the De Toekomst graduates successful Jurrien Timber.

Timber played with a maturity which belied his meagre 21 years portion his different chap younger members of the squad besides played well. Bassey -- a big-money enlistee from Rangers -- is inactive uncovering his feet, but coped with the Liverpool attack, portion Brian Brobbey, successful the extended squad for the World Cup, besides looked unsafe and was a changeless annoyance to his Dutch teammate Van Dijk. Kenneth Taylor managed 28 minutes disconnected the seat and volition apt slot backmost into Ajax's midfield astatine the earliest accidental erstwhile his fittingness has picked up aft wounded truthful there's inactive this coagulated underbelly of youth. They conscionable request the squad to settee astir them and support clasp of players similar Edson Alvarez.

This volition beryllium a play of modulation for Ajax arsenic they proceed their complaint for the Eredivisie and present crook attraction to the Europa League. They'll spot successful the club's DNA to get backmost connected way astatine Europe's apical table.

Player ratings

Ajax: Remko Pasveer 5, Jorge Sanchez 5, Jurrien Timber 7, Daley Blind 5, Calvin Bassey 6, Edson Alvarez 7, Steven Berghuis 6, Davy Klaassen 6, Steven Bergwijn 6, Dusan Tadic 6, Brian Brobbey 6

Subs: Owen Wijndal 6; Mohammed Kudus 5; Kenneth Taylor 6; Florian Grillitsch 6; Francisco Conceicao 6

Liverpool: Alisson 7, Trent Alexander-Arnold 7, Joe Gomez 7, Virgil van Dijk 7, Andrew Robertson 8, Fabinho 6, Jordan Henderson 7, Harvey Elliott 8, Mohamed Salah 8, Roberto Firmino 7, Darwin Nunez 7

Subs: Curtis Jones 6; Fabio Carvalho 6; James Milner 6; Stefan Bajcetic 6; Konstantinos Tsimikas 6

Best and worst performers

BEST: Harvey Elliott, Liverpool

The likes of Henderson, Firmino, Van Dijk, Salah and Alisson played well, but this was Elliott's night. He was simply superb for Liverpool.

WORST: Remko Pasveer, Ajax

Pasveer had a nighttime to hide successful extremity for Ajax. His organisation was poor, helium was astatine responsibility for Liverpool's archetypal -- though Salah's decorativeness was exquisite -- and though helium wasn't helped by his defence astatine times, helium struggled.

Highlights and notable moments

Liverpool did look to beryllium the brighter broadside from the opening whistle, but they near it precocious into the archetypal fractional to unfastened the scoring.

It was who other but Mohamed Salah who struck archetypal with a delectable spot implicit Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer.

The cleanable interaction from Mo Salah to nonstop it successful to the extremity 👨‍🍳😗 pic.twitter.com/1HTjG9vJMI

After the halftime break, Liverpool started scoring successful earnest.

Only 4 minutes into the 2nd half, Darwin Núñez doubled the pb for the Reds.

HE WASN'T GOING TO MISS THIS ONE 🎯 pic.twitter.com/BIehjCH6P7

Only 2 minutes later, Harvey Elliott was keen to get successful connected the action.

Although much 40 minutes remained successful the match, it already felt implicit for Ajax.

Harvey Eliott connected the choky space 📐😰 pic.twitter.com/MQM4JS6dQS

After the match: What the players and managers said

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "The crippled started tricky for america arsenic Ajax are a bully team. The archetypal fractional hr they were the amended team, much settled than us. Their man-marking strategy is uncomfortable for us. We had to get utilized to that -- that's normal, it's an distant crippled successful the Champions League. We were fortunate successful 1 concern [the Berghuis miss] and successful the different concern it was a bully artifact [Tadic's shot]."

Klopp connected Henderson's injury: "I was disquieted arsenic good arsenic I saw the concern successful beforehand of me. I deliberation it was genu connected knee, a bruise, truly achy but arsenic acold arsenic I cognize now, helium should beryllium fine."

Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder: "We person to absorption connected the improvement of the team. I spot progression successful the team, to suffer 3-0 is bad, but I person to support looking forward."

Ajax guardant Dusan Tadic: "I deliberation we did bully successful the archetypal 30, 40 minutes and if I people goal, it would beryllium a antithetic game. But we didn't bash it. Top teams punish you."

Key stats

• Darwin Núñez scored his 5th extremity of the season, and helium is averaging a changeable each six touches. That shooting complaint ties him with Erling Haaland for archetypal among each players successful Europe's apical 5 leagues this season.

• Mohamed Salah has six goals successful the Champions League this season, tied with Kylian Mbappé for first. Only erstwhile has an African subordinate finished arsenic the apical scorer successful the UEFA Champions League: George Weah successful 1994-95 with 7 goals.

Up next

Ajax: The Dutch broadside enjoys a five-day remainder earlier heading to Scotland to instrumentality connected Rangers successful the UEFA Champions League connected Tuesday, Nov. 1 astatine 4 p.m. ET. Then displacement backmost to the Dutch Eredivisie and big PSV Eindhoven connected Sunday, Nov. 6.

Liverpool: The Reds crook their absorption to the Premier League erstwhile they big Leeds United connected Saturday, Oct. 29 astatine 2:45 p.m. ET. Then they displacement backmost to UEFA Champions League enactment connected Tuesday, Nov. 1, hosting Napoli.