The Reds will just be happy they negotiated past this potential banana skin and reach the last 16 with a game to spare. Losing goalkeeper Allison just before the game to a hamstring did not help at all. But young Irish goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher gave a good account of himself pulling off a GREAT SAVE from Mazroui on 33 minutes.
Curtis Jones staked his claim on Tuesday night for a permanent starting berth in that midfield three. It looked like he had shoot on sight instructions from Klopp because he rattled the post with only three minutes on the clock with a belter. Ajax will be wondering why they didnt come out of Anfield with at least a point having dominated proceedings in the second half with more good work from Kelleher and heroic defending. Liverpool took the lead much against the run of play when Andre Onana inexplicably left a cross thinking that ithad enough pace to go out for a goal kick. It only found the stretched out foot of Curtis Jones who will not score a more easy goal than that. If Ajax fail to proceed from this Group they will look at this moment as well as Tagliafico’s comical Own Goal at the Johan Cruyff Arena as the pivotal moments.
Mo Salah should have punished more sloppy defending by Ajax three minutes later but Onana made himself big one on one with the Egyptian. Ajax now face Atalanta in a winner take all encounter in their last group(They have 7 points to the Italians’ 8). Liverpool will probably field a weakened side against Danish champions Midtyjlland with both sides with nothing to play for but pride.
