Joel Matip’s late header handed Liverpool their first win of the Champions League season with a 2-1 triumph over Ajax at Anfield.
Mohamed Salah fired the Reds in front with his first Champions League goal in seven appearances, but Mohammed Kudus levelled the scores with a clinical finish.
The home side applied pressure in the second half, but could not break down the Dutch outfit until Matip found the net in the 89th minute to secure the three points.
Starting lineup:
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson;
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Virgil van Dijk, Konstantinos Tsimikas;
Harvey Elliott, Fabinho, Thiago;
Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz.
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Joe Gomez, James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Adrian, Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho, Arthur, Stefan Bajcetic, Nathaniel Phillips, Harvey Davies.
AJAX (4-2-3-1): Remko Pasveer;
Devyne Rensch, Jurrien Timber, Calvin Bassey, Daley Blind;
Edson Alvarez, Kenneth Taylor;
Dusan Tadic, Steven Berghuis, Steven Bergwijn; Mohammed Kudus.
AJAX SUBS: Maarten Stekelenburg, Davy Klaassen, Brian Brobbey, Lucas Ocampos, Ahmetcan Kaplan, Jay Gorter, Lorenzo Lucca, Jorge Sanchez, Florian Grillitsch, Youri Baas, Youri Regeer, Lisandro Magallan.
Goals:
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! SALAH DRILLS LIVERPOOL AHEAD!!!! 1-0!!!!!! Jota finds Salah on this occasion and the forward makes no mistake burying his left-footed strike past Pasveer. Jota makes a good run and draws in defenders to open up space for Salah. He finds Salah with a good pass, allowing the Egypt international to take one touch before firing into the bottom-right corner.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! KUDUS EQUALISES WITH A CLINICAL FINISH!!!!! 1-1!!!!! Ajax make Liverpool pay for their missed chances as Kudus hammers home from close range. Blind sends Berghuis down the left flank with a precise pass and the midfielder produces a cutback into the box. Kudus collects and fires on the turn on his left foot, with the ball hammering off the underside of the bar.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! MATIP HEADS HOME!!!!!! 2-1 LIVERPOOL!!! Liverpool finally break down the Ajax rearguard in the second half as Matip rises and plants a header over the line, despite the best attempts of Tadic to keep it out. Matip connects with a cross from Tsimikas from the left flank, directing his attempt past Pasveer. And although Tadic heads it away, the ball clearly crosses the line with the referee receiving the signal on his watch.
So, what’s next?
Liverpool’s next Premier League game against Chelsea has been postponed, meaning the Reds will not be in action again until October 1 against Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield.
Ajax are on the road next time out in Eredivisie against AZ on Sunday.
