Ajax v Liverpool – Match Preview
Liverpool will re-embark on their European journey and secure their spot in the knockout stages of the Champions League, when they take on Ajax in the second leg of the Group A clash on Wednesday night.
Overview
The team from Merseyside has been underperforming this season in the Premier League. A victory over Manchester City was very promising, some thought they’d be boosted by this result and get back on track, however the clash against Forest was a reality check.
The Champions League has been more like a safe haven for the Reds. Rangers were demolished, Ajax got outplayed. However, there was one bad moment when we witnessed a banana skin in the opener against Napoli. Nevertheless, Liverpool sit in second place with nine points. Should they get a point against Ajax, they’ll progress to the knockout stage.
Meanwhile, the team from the Netherlands runs riot in the domestic league. They got 28 out of 33 possible points.
Their situation in European football is a learning curve. Ajax must win to keep their hopes of qualifying alive. They proceed to the meeting on the back of their humiliation against Napoli in a double-header.
Team news
Jurgen Klopp is yet to assess the fitness of Ibrahima Konate, Darwin Nunez and Thiago Alcantara. Nunez and Alcantara are minor doubts though, so both could recover from thigh issue and ear infection respectively.
Elsewhere, Luis Diaz, Arthur Melo and Diogo Jota are set for prolonged spells on the sidelines. This clash will come too soon for Naby Keita and Joel Matip who are expected to work on their fitness.
Ajax will be without Ahmetcan Kaplan, Devyne Rensch and Mohamed Ihattaren due to injuries, while midfielder Kenneth Taylor is doubtful due to a muscle strain.
Head to head
Previously, both sides met only on three occasions in this competition. Every time, Liverpool were on the winning end.
Summary
A narrow win at home against Ajax in the first-leg felt like a relief but it wasn’t convincing. Liverpool must show up and deliver if they want to return to England in a jubilant mood.
Given recent results, both teams are good at scoring goals and bad at keeping clean sheets. With that in mind, we can expect an entertaining game.
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