A late header from Joel Matip gave Liverpool a precious 2-1 victory over Ajax, with Kostas Tsimikas and Thiago shining for the Reds.
Liverpool 2-1 Ajax
Champions League (2), AnfieldSeptember 13, 2022
Goals: Salah 17′, Matip 89′; Holy 27′
Alisson (of 10) – 7
Alisson’s form hasn’t been an issue of late, unlike many, and this was another solid night for him.
He was powerless against Mohammed Kudus’ equaliser, but his distribution was generally good and he was assured in all facets of his game.
He made a great save after the break, but was caught offside.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 6
Another game, another defensive lapse by Alexander-Arnold, who was disconnected by Kudus’ goal, as we have seen so many times this season.
It’s hard to say what’s going on with Trent right now, but there seems to be a lack of focus on the show far too often.
He was good on the run, to be fair, and nearly scored an impressive long-distance effort from distance.
It could be good if he wasn’t in the England squad and had a chance at a break now.
Joel Matip – 8
Matip returned to the team in place of Joe Gomez and was ultimately the unexpected winner of the match.
He made a clear difference, bringing more poise and quality to the centre-back, as well as coming out with the ball and using it well.
He then headed home with a prized winner – his first Champions League goal in nine years! It’s good to have him back.
Virgil van Dijk – 7
Van Dijk’s form has been deservedly called into question lately, but this looked a lot like Liverpool’s legendary Dutchman.
He was a dominant figure in the air and was more aggressive in his complete game, and Remko Pasveer denied that twice as well.
Not full speed yet, but encouraging signs.
Costas Tsimikas – 8
Tsimikas replaced the injured Andy Robertson and was increasingly excellent as the night wore on.
After a slow start, the Greek was a bundle of energy, roaring forward, providing energy and cleaning up defensively at key moments.
Many had been clamoring for him to start ahead of Robertson even when the Scot was uninjured and he certainly showed why.
Fabinho – 7
Fabinho seems like a different player when Thiago is in the team and he was good overall.
He kept things neat and tidy in the middle of the park, as well as biting tackles, and it looked like the weekend break had given him more legs.
It wasn’t great for Kudus’ goal though, as it was scored from exactly where it should have been, but was again slow as a runner.
Thiago – 9 (Man of the Match)
Can we just clone Thiago and have three of him in midfield?
It was a delight to see the Spaniard on his return to the starting line-up, producing some magical turns, never turning the ball over and providing plenty of invention in tight areas.
He’s also good off the ball, something that’s criminally underrated in his game, and kept fighting even when his legs seemed to get a little tired.
Harvey Elliott-7
Elliott’s off-the-ball qualities have been in the spotlight lately and again he didn’t excel in that area, as he was too high up for an equalizer.
Overall the teenager was fine though, always looking forward in possession and connecting well with the likes of Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah.
Subtitled
Mohammed Salah – 7
I like it better that way, Mo!
Salah got off to a worrying start, running down dead ends and appearing lacking in confidence, before silencing the doubters with a strong finish.
From then on, he looked much better, turning and turning, beating opponents and looking like the player who has set Anfield on fire so many times since 2017.
Luis Diaz – 7
Diaz was one of the few blameless individuals at Napoli and was active again against Ajax.
The Colombian shot wide with the goal open before the break and never stopped trying, but found his match in Devyne Rensch, not always with much joy.
Good header in the run-up to Salah’s goal, though, and he showed a superb attitude as Liverpool looked for a winner.
Diogo Jota – 7
Jota was preferred to Darwin Nunez up front and the positives outweighed the positives overall.
He was a willing runner, fighting hard against the Ajax defender, but his first touch let him down on a few occasions.
He attended Salah’s shot and pressed well, which is what was needed.
substitutes
Roberto Firmino (instead of Elliott, 67′) – 6
I couldn’t really get into the game.
Darwin Núñez (replaces Jota, 67 ‘) – 5
Touch looked really poor and missed a great opportunity.
James Milner (instead of Diaz, 90′) – n/a
It’s not time to make an impact.
Stefan Bajcetic (instead of Thiago, 90′) – n/a
He debuted in the Champions League for a few seconds, in what was a proud moment.
Unused Subs: Adrian, Davies, Gomez, Carvalho, Arthur, Phillips.
Jurgen Klopp – 8
This was a big night for Klopp, who has found himself under unusual pressure after such a disappointing start to the campaign.
However, the boss got better performances from his team, sticking with the 4-3-3 formation until midway through the second half when he switched to 4-2-3-1.
Liverpool’s win was well deserved, with a much better performance overall, with a bit more luck in front of goal leading to a more convincing win.
This was a back-to-basics type of performance; much more solid, more compact and more connected. The midfield did a much better job, while the full-backs attacked less to give more solidity.
