Mueez Ajao
– Liverpool secured a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Ajax on Tuesday to kickstart their Champions League campaign this season.
– Joel Matip scored in the 89th minute to give Jurgen Klopp’s side a much-needed win after their 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Napoli last week.
– Mohamed Salah opened the scoring at Anfield but the visitors quickly fought back with a well-taken Mohammed Kudus strike.
Also Read: Napoli trash Liverpool in Champions League
– However, Matip’s late header from a corner earned Liverpool their first win in the Champions League this season.
– “I had a few opportunities before, so I was happy that I could score,” Matip told BT Sport after the game. “I wasn’t sure [it was in] to be honest but when I saw the referee, then the emotions came out.
– “It was a long and tough game. We were pushing forward the whole team, defending from the first second and then it was a happy end for us.”
– Liverpool started brightly and took a deserved lead after 17 minutes when Diogo Jota set up Salah to open the scoring with a close-range finish.
– The hosts came close to doubling their lead with quickfire chances but Salah, Luis Diaz and Jota failed to hit the target.
– Liverpool were punished for their missed chances after 27 minutes when Ajax put together a fine move which ended with Kudus producing a stunning strike past Alisson.
– The Premier League side responded well from the equaliser but Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer denied Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
– Liverpool continued their domination in the second half but Ajax limited them to few clear-cut chances.
– With 15 minutes remaining, Ajax caught Liverpool on the break and almost went ahead but Daley Blind’s close-range header missed the target.
– Substitute Darwin Nunez came close late on while Salah clipped the post with a deflected effort.
– The hosts grabbed the winner from the resulting corner through Matip’s header to earn them a valuable victory.
Matip’s late header wins it for the Reds 🙌#LIVAJA | #UCL pic.twitter.com/7l2lIMjCMK
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 13, 2022
– “It was very important to show a positive reaction,” Van Dijk told BT Sport in his postmatch interview. “It’s not easy to turn it around, but it is a step in the right direction.
– “During the game there were great moments. It was very important to win going into the international break.
– “I should have scored. We felt dangerous in the set-piece, especially corners, and it was our responsibility to convert one — thankfully Joel [Matip] did.
🗣 "We felt like we were dangerous in every set-piece, especially corners, and it was our responsibility to convert one – luckily the one and only Joel Matip did."
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 13, 2022
– “We are not listening to the outside world. A lot of ex-football players, who know what we go through, they say a lot to get us down, but we know the last game was very bad and this was a step in the right direction.”
