Success eluded Ajax in the second group match in the UEFA Champions League. A late goal by Matip at Anfield brought the Amsterdam team down after being 1-1 at half-time. Mohammed Kudus had pulled Ajax level in the first half, after Liverpool had taken the lead thanks to a goal from Salah.
At Liverpool, Ajax were unable to sustain their top form as seen in the opening of the UEFA Champions League against Rangers FC. Liverpool, on the other hand, took revenge for an extremely poor start to the European season (losing 4-1 at Naples).
It should have been a dazzling duel at Anfield Road. But Ajax, wearing the gold third strip for the first time, barely got a chance to play their own game
Schreuder wanted to do battle against Liverpool with 'guts and daring', but it didn't come to much. Ajax lost all sense of organisation in the seventeenth minute. Salah forged ahead unchallenged to put Liverpool 1-0 up.
Ajax were lucky not to have been 3-0 down after 25 minutes. Luckily, it didn't come to that, and so Mohammed Kudus' great goal in the 27th minute was no consolation prize, but the equaliser: 1-1.
Ajax continued to trail Liverpool in the second half, and were grateful to Pasveer in the 64th minute for another great save. The pressure on the Ajax defence was relentless.
Yet, fifteen minutes before full time, celebrations nearly broke out when Blind had the perfect chance to make it 2-1 to Ajax, but his header went wide. That cost Ajax dearly. Because when an effort from Salah hit the post and deflected shortly before the end of normal time, Liverpool were awarded a corner. From that, Matip headed in the winner in the 89th minute, making it 2-1.
Liverpool – Ajax 2-1 (1-1)
16. Salah 1-0
27. Kudus 1-1
89. Matip 2-1
Ajax: Pasveer; Rensch (68. Sanchez), Timber, Bassey, Blind; Álvarez, Kudus (86. Brobbey), Taylor (80. Grillitsch); Berghuis, Tadic, Bergwijn
