Liverpool vastly improved on last week’s dismal defeat to Napoli and earned a late win thanks to Joel Matip’s header to secure an Anfield 2-1 victory over Ajax.
Liverpool 2-1 Ajax
Champions League group stage (2), AnfieldSeptember 13, 2022
Goals: Salah 17′, Matip 89′; Holy 27′
Pre-game shouldn’t have as much focus as 90, but…
Aside from a few mutters, complaints or excited words about the team sheet each week, there’s usually not much talk surrounding Liverpool before the game: we show up, we win, we find something to complain about anyway. It’s been that way for a few years now, but not this week.
For starters, there are the Reds themselves: a poor start overall and a lousy last start meant doubts about our team and level of performance for the first time in a long time.
Jurgen Klopp wanted an answer, but not as much as all the fans, we can assure him of that: it was disgraceful in Napoli and totally unacceptable from the players.
Meanwhile, around that discussion of buffing, team changes, and even who deserved to play, there was the larger fact of an actual death and the postponements and planning that were going on around that.
Amid the wholly unexpected suggestion (honestly, a promise) that last week’s games were canceled due to fears of Anfield booing a minute’s silence, the actual moment of respect was all too well observed on the night.
However, it all became something of a circus around the build-up to the game, with most of football – not just Liverpool fans – furious at the most absurd decision-making by the FA, the Premier League and beyond.
return a column
Yes, we mean a backbone in both senses of the word.
First of all, Thiago’s comeback was as glorious and necessary as you’d expect, with his trademark body turns and superb passing into the center all on display in the opening minutes.
He is a class above most of the time; the only problem is that he was also above his own team, with few able to match his cut on the ball.
Second, Joel Matip was very good, on and off the ball. He made one or two sneak fouls when he had to, intercepted and headed clearance, but he also took the ball out of defense with great skill and poise, catching a good pass late on.
And at the top end, Diogo Jota’s return from injury was also a return to some form: he struggled a lot at the end of last season from a technical perspective, but his running and energy were a welcome addition to the team after a horrible and flat. exhibitions on the front line recently.
Perhaps more than all those guys in the center of the flank was the fact that we had a bit of grit in our game: the willingness to push high, even into the box again, and the desire to try and play our game. way with quick links and more players attacking the box.
It wasn’t perfect for long, but the players didn’t hide.
No choice on the side, but there is reason for optimism
If we had a deeper squad, Trent might not have started this game. If we had a fitter team, Kostas couldn’t do it either.
As it is, they are the only two senior full-backs Jurgen has fit and available, with our recently terrible right-back and our left-back, well, far from the worst on the team, but not exactly pressing his own case for the inclusion. with flashing screens either.
We needed both of them to really be into it if we were going to upset Ajax at one end and keep them out at the other and aside from a moment or two on each flank, that’s exactly what we got.
Tsimikas completely outplayed Dusan Tadic one-on-one, finishing down the flanks and sending in some really good deliveries, particularly on plays out of the set. More on that later.
The one time he wasn’t in position to track down Tadic after a turnover, it almost resulted in a goal: his cross found Blind, who struck wide.
Likewise, Trent really only got beaten with a ball behind him once this time around, and it ended in the Kudus draw, which was an absolute howitzer, to be fair.
The rest of the game, Trent was very diligent in winning his tackles one on one, not diving and leaving space behind, while in possession he often proved to be the spark to send us into the dangerous areas of the final third.
Those weren’t always put to full use, but both full-backs definitely played their part in raising the level of performance.
Decorations are a thing again
It seems like Liverpool haven’t really been on the run in recent weeks in any kind of game moment: terrible defensive phases, heavy open play, predictable set pieces.
Yes, we won the Newcastle match in one, but it wasn’t because of a great delivery or movement, rather we managed to keep the ball alive for Carvalho to hit it.
Here it was different: Van Dijk and Matip must have won around a dozen corner kicks and attacking free kicks between them, with the Dutchman twice coming close to scoring and his rejoined teammate eventually doing so.
It made it all the more reassuring when, in stoppage time, Ajax resorted to hitting him long for a late chance; they hadn’t won a header all night and they weren’t going to win one of those either.
Was the Liverpool team a meter taller on average? He felt that way.
Plenty of time to work on outstanding issues
Well, did you enjoy the 90 minutes? Because that’s your lot for another 18 days.
Of course, the late win helps in that regard, but it was by no means a perfect showing. Klopp and his coaches still have a lot to figure out.
What Sunday’s canceled game means now is that we should have plenty of time to really investigate what went wrong earlier this season (that’s for the players), but also, crucially, how Napoli was allowed to get onto the stage. ‘ (that’s for the coaches).
A win doesn’t get us back on track, as wins over Cherries and Magpies have already shown, but it’s something to build on.
Now we must rediscover our aura of fearlessness, of absolute confidence, and that only comes after a lot of “one game at a time.”
International break at a good time? It may never be quite good, but it certainly could have been worse: Matip made sure he wasn’t.
Seventeen days until next…
