Liverpool hopes to turn their season around against a free-scoring Ajax team visiting Anfield in their second game of Group A in the 2022/23 Champions League season.
The Reds suffered a 4-1 humiliation against Napoli at Naples in the opening group stage while the Dutch league champions put four goals past Rangers without reply in their first game this season in the competition.
LIV vs AJX Match Details
Date: Tuesday, 13 September 2022 / Wednesday, 14 September 2022
Time: 21:00 (CET) / 00:30 (IST)
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
LIV vs AJX Match Preview
Manager Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool needs to rediscover themselves in the post-game interview of the 4-1 thrashing handed by Napoli at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and that this is the worst game he has seen in his reign at the club. The Reds have already suffered their worst start to their campaign under the German boss and recorded their joint-worst defeat in the Champions League last week. Liverpool were left exposed in the opening minute of the game as Napoli striker Victor Osimhen beat their high line and goalkeeper Alisson hitting the post from a narrow angle. Then Piotr Zielinski scored from the spot to give the home side the much-deserved lead in the game with Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Simeone getting into the act to make it 3-0 before the break. Zielinski then got his second after the break to further take the game away from Liverpool before Luis Diaz’s strike gave a mere consolation. Osimhen missed a penalty and Kvaratskhelia’s effort was cleared off the line by Van Dijk in the first half to prevent the score line look more embarrassing for the Reds. A glaring theme this season, the defense looked completely out of place every time Napoli bombed forward with howling errors from Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold at the back causing all sorts of miseries. Lack of compactness with a very high line became the key factor in the loss. The postponement of the Premier League games at the weekend meant Liverpool didn’t get a game to reshuffle their strategy before their next Champions League game facing a stellar opposition like Ajax but have beaten them previously at the venue two seasons ago. Liverpool also have not lost in the last 10 games at Anfield in all competitions since the 1-0 loss to Inter in March. Their only two wins in this campaign came at home and the 0-0 draw against Everton in the Merseyside derby a week ago was only the second time the Reds managed a clean sheet this season.
All these stats will not sound hopeful for Liverpool in facing the Eredivisie champions indomitable until now in a delightful start to the post-Erik Ten Hag era. New manager Alfred Schreuder has carried forward the legacy of the team set impeccable heights under the now Manchester United boss and guided the team to victories in all of the games played so far. Ajax’s ruthlessness was shown in their 4-0 demolition of Rangers with their talented group of players from the academy keep adding to the rich depth of the squad. The perfect win came even after Ajax lost key players in the window to maintain their cycle of producing results on the pitch irrespective of the team going through significant changes over the seasons. This makes Ajax a feared opposition to take on in Europe as well. This season Ajax have scored in every game all competition registering 22 strikes so far and keeping clean sheets in each of their last five games. Cruising in their domestic table, Ajax wants to repeat their excellent group stage outing last term where they won every game at the stage for the first time. Their two defeats in the last 25 away match in European contests should ooze extra confidence while taking on a disfigured Liverpool team at Anfield. However, the situation was similar when these two last met in 2020 with the Reds despite their injury problems at the back edge out a strong Ajax team through a Curtis Jones strike. The side from the Netherlands will be annoyed to repeat a similar result in this away fixture to restrict Liverpool from gaining any chance to recover their faith in the group. A further three points will strengthen their position for early qualification to the latter rounds of the Champions League. Ajax will be up for that opportunity they feel is the right time to face the Reds still struggling with injuries, particularly in the middle of the park.
Recent Form (all competitions)
LIV: LDWWL
AJX: WWWWW
LIV vs AJX Team News
Liverpool have been dealt with a massive injury blow before their meeting against Ajax as left-back Andrew Robertson misses out through a suspected knee. The extent of his absence is not yet known leaving Kostas Tsimikas to take his place in the starting eleven. However, the Scotland international’s injury is not believed to be serious as of yet. Manager Jurgen Klopp said Curtis Jones is still out but Fabio Carvalho has made himself available for the game. Klopp also doesn’t expect Naby Keita to go to international duties contradictory to what the Guinea national team coach Kaba Diawara suggests. The 27-year-old is not included in the Champions League squad this season for his injury problems as is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Midfielder Thiago Alcantara came back from his injury to play the last half an hour for his team against Napoli missing since Liverpool’s first game of the season and is expected to start this clash at Anfield. Jordan Henderson won’t be featuring before next month for the team while Ibrahima Konate, Caoimhin Kelleher and Calvin Ramsey remain out for an extended period. Liverpool are desperate to get Mohamed Salah firing again with the Egyptian now in his longest-ever goal drought in the competition at eight games.
Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder has a fully fit squad available to him with no injuries to be concerned about. Steven Bergwjin did pick up a hamstring injury in celebrating the team’s fourth goal against Rangers in the opening group stage game but has been passed fit for this clash. He played about an hour in the 5-0 thrashing of Heerenveen in the Eredivisie at the weekend. Left-back Owen Wijndal has also made the trip with the squad after returning from an ankle injury. Ajax were forced to finish their last game with 10 men due to Calvin Bassey leaving the field with a knock and all the substitutions used. The Nigerian has got the medical clearance to travel to Anfield.
LIV vs AJX Predicted Lineups
LIV: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Van Dijk, Kostas Tsimikas; Harvey Elliott, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara; Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz
AJX: Remko Pasveer; Devyne Rensch, Jurrien Timber, Calvin Bassey, Daley Blind; Steven Berghuis, Julian Alvarez, Kenneth Taylor; Dusan Tadic, Mohammed Kudus, Steven Bergwijn
LIV vs AJX Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Alisson
DEF: Rensch, Timber, Matip, Bassey
MID: Elliot, Taylor, Kudus, Diaz
FW: Salah, Bergwijn
Captain: Luis Diaz
Vice-captain: Steven Bergwjin
