Liverpool ride luck as own goal secures win at Ajax

Liverpool beat Ajax Amsterdam 1-Zero away with a lucky personal aim of their Champions League group-stage opener on Wednesday, driving their luck at instances however nonetheless exhibiting their title credentials.

Ajax fullback Nicolas Tagliafico turned the ball into his personal web within the 35th minute to make sure a successful begin in Group D for the English champions, who appeared the stronger of the 2 groups regardless of Ajax creating a number of good probabilities on the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Davy Klaassen struck the submit with a strong shot and Quincy Promes had a point-blank effort stopped by the legs of Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian because the Dutch membership created a handful of wonderful alternatives.

Yet Liverpool, who gained their sixth Champions League title in 2019, nonetheless proved worth for his or her victory, dominating possession and counter attacking at tempo whereas retaining a clear sheet regardless of lacking defensive talisman Virgil van Dijk, who suffered a severe knee harm on the weekend.

Fabinho moved from midfield to centre defence to interchange Van Dijk and had an impressive sport, notably hooking a clearance off the road to disclaim Dusan Tadic simply earlier than halftime. It was one among a number of probabilities for Ajax within the first half, as Lisandro Martinez had a header saved by Adrian and Ryan Gravenberch shot narrowly vast, a lot to the annoyance of Liverpool supervisor Juergen Klopp, who spent the early a part of the sport berating and shouting directions to his gamers.

But his agitation was quelled when Sadio Mane turned the Ajax defence with a swift physique motion to arrange the aim. He miskicked his personal effort, but it surely caught Tagliafico as he clumsily tried to clear, however as a substitute deflected it into the Ajax web.

“It was a good enough performance to win the game, which at moments was pretty wild. It was not one of our sunny shiny world class football days. It was not perfect but the boys fought like crazy,” mentioned a extra glad Liverpool supervisor afterwards.

Klopp took off Mane and his strike companions Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah with 30 minutes nonetheless left, however replacements Diogo Jota and Takumi Minamino stored up the stress on the house workforce. Ajax ought to have equalised, nonetheless, 4 minutes into stoppage time when Adrian didn’t correctly take care of a cross into the world however substitute Jurgen Ekkelenkamp missed the goal.