Joël Matip's late header ensures Liverpool all-three points with a 2-1 narrow win against Ajax in the Champions League..

2022-09-14 12:01

Joël Matip



The second matchday of the hotly-ancipated 2022/23 UEFA Champions League Group A game officially took place last night, and Liverpool fought hard and finally returned to winning ways with a late 2-1 win against Ajax.


Liverpool, who had begun attacking strongly against their Eredivisie opponents shortly after the start of the game, took an early lead under the clinical finsh of Mohamed Salah. Mohamed Kudus worked together perfectly with Steven Bergwijn, by capitalising on Trent Alexander-Arnold's marking error to break through the opponent's defense and firing a shot that Alisson didn't have time to react to. Just over half an hour later, Virgil Van Dijk's header from a corner caused Remko Pasveer's initial save and to almost be turned into his owen net by Dyvine Rensch! At the end of the second half, Salah's strong shot in the box after stopping the ball was deflected off to the upper-left of the post through Calvin Bassey's block. A short time later, although Joël Matip's header from Kostas Tsimikas corner was headed out of the goalline by Ajax captain Dušan Tadić, the ball had already passed the goalline. Thus, the referee immediately decided that the goal was valid. In the end, Liverpool successfully beat the opponent by 2-1. Liverpool is currently second in the group with a better head-to-head record; while Ajax is temporarily third in the group.


First Half


Before the official start of the game, everyone in the stadium observed a minute's silence for the late Queen Elizabeth II who tragically passed away few days ago. After the start of the game, in the 17th minute, Alisson's long pass from the back, was headed by Luis Díaz, Diogo Jota followed up, took a few steps and then passes it to Mohamed Salah who quickly followed up, adjusted his angle and firing across the outrushing Pasveer with his left foot into the lower right corner of the goal. Liverpool broke the deadlock and took an early 1-0 lead! With this goal, Salah officially scored his 160th goal in his Liverpool career.


In 5 minutes, Tsimikas's cross from the left wing found Van Dijk who jumped high in the middle of box with a header, the ball was initially headed out by Edson Álvarez, but upon being picked up by Diaz, the latter stopped the ball with his chest, and half-volleyed with his right foot in the middle of box, but the ball slightly went wide off the the left post. In the 23rd minute, Thiago's through ball from near the center circle of the midfield found Jota who and took a long shot with his right foot from just outside the box, but the ball sailed just passed the left post.


1 minute later, Jota made a low cross from the front edge of the byline on the left into the box Salah successfully beaten the offside trap and followed up quickly before hitting the ball from a difficult angle in front of the left with a left-footed half-volley, but the ball slightly missed the left post.


In the 27th minute, Davey Blind's left pass from left successfully found Steven Berghuis who capitalised on Alexander-Arnold's marking error and swiftly drifted to the edge of the byline on the left side of the box before cutting in back to Bergwijn who deliberately played a one-two with Mohammed Kudus after he got the ball. Kudus' vicious left-footed in the middle of box saw the ball hit the underside of the crossbar and then bounced into the bottom left corner, leaving Alisson too late to react, Ajax thus equalises to make the score 1-1!


8 minutes later, Liverpool got a corner. Alexander-Arnold crosses the ball into the box from the corner, Van Dijk jumped high in the middle of the box with a header, the ball was initially by palmed away by Pasveer in the center, but was fortunately blocked into the arms of Pasveer by his teammate Rensch in front of the goal line, Ajax nearly got away from such dangerous situation! The two sides later failed to achieve anything notable before the end of the first half.


Second Half


After changing sides, in the 74th minute, Liverpool got a corner. Alexander-Arnold crosses the ball into the box from the corner, Matip jumped high in the middle of the box with a header, but the ball was just too high. 4 minutes later, Van Dijk passes from the center of midfield, Thiago cut inside and made a few mazy runs, and released a long shot with his right foot from just outside the box, but Pasveer held onto the ball in front of the goal. Soon after, Tadić crosses into the box from the right wing, an unmarkeed Daley Blind quickly followed up, thrown himself to the ground with a header on the left, but the ball sailed just slightly passed the right-upper crossbar.


In the 83rd minute, Liverpool's 'Scary Front-Three' cooperated together. Roberto Firmino's through ball from front, Salah successfully followed up and passes the ball again from the right side of the box to Darwin Núñez quickly followed up and pushed the ball with his right foot in the middle of box, but the ball went slightly wide of the left post. 1 minute later, Firmino made a direct pass from the left, Nuñez quickly followed up and then volleyed with his right foot from a difficult angle from the edge left byline in the box, but the ball was parried out for a corner by Pasveer who got down in the center.


In the 88th minute, Tsimikas's cross from the left wing was headed away not far by Bassey, after picking up the loose ball and adjusted his angle, Salah fired a shot with his left foot on the right side of box, The ball was blocked by Bassey again. before hitting the top left corner of the post and then deflected off the line, the Premier League giants missed the golden opportunity to restore their lead!


Shortly after, Liverpool got a corner. Tsimikas crosses the ball into the box from the corner, Joël Matip jumped high in the middle of box and headed the ball, although it was headed by Tadić from the inside of the goal, the ball had already crossed the goal line, as such the referee immediately ruled that the goal valid on the spot, and Liverpool sealed the victory with 2-1!


The game then ended with Liverpool finally welcoming a victory back once again with a late 2-1 narrow win against Ajax after a long time.