Ajax vs Liverpool Champions League result, final score and reaction as Reds seal qualification - live
Ajax 0-3 Liverpool: Reds got the point they needed to qualify for the knockout rounds thanks to a comfortable win in Amsterdam
Liverpool overcame a slow start to beat hosts Ajax FC 3-, ensuring a top-two finish in Group A and progress into the knockout stage of the Champions League.
Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead against the run of play three minutes before half-time and they then took command after the break with two quick goals from Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott to claim a convincing triumph.
The victory kept them three points behind leaders Napoli, who won at home against Rangers in Italy at the same time to make it five out of five in the group.
Napoli will be at Anfield next Tuesday to decide top spot, when Liverpool would need victory by at least 3-0 to edge the Serie A leaders on the head-to-head result between the two after losing 4-1 in Naples in September.
Relive the action as Liverpool beat Ajax in the Champions League:
Kick off: Ajax 0-0 Liverpool
Liverpool get the game underway and work the ball over to the left side of the pitch but it runs out of play and Ajax send the resultant throw in over to goalkeeper Remko Pasveer.
Ajax vs Liverpool
The players make their way out of the tunnel after a lightshow inside the Johann Cruyff Arena. Jordan Henderson leads out Liverpool who look determined to get a result tonight.
Kick off is coming up next...
Klopp aiming to win
Liverpool only need one point to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League but Jurgen Klopp says his team will be targeting all three points against Ajax tonight.
“I don’t understand how you can go for a point, you can only get a point by trying to win.” said the Liverpool boss, “Ajax is a great club and it’s in their DNA to be an attacking team. But that creates spaces for us and hopefully we can use that.”
Barcelona out of Champions League!
Inter Milan have beaten Viktoria Plzen 4-0 in one of the early Champions League kick offs which means that they join Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16.
Barcelona, who host Bayern at 8pm tonight, drop into the Europa League as they cannot finish higher than third in their group now.
Bayern, meanhwile, need a win against Barca to clinch top spot.
Liverpool’s poor away form
Liverpool have won just one game on the road in all competitions this season and have lost at Manchester United, Arsenal, Napoli and Nottingham Forest.
It is the worst Liverpool have been on their travels under Jurgen Klopp, but the German says he isn’t too worried about their form away from Anfield.
“It is nothing in my mind at the moment,” he said. “I prepare the team for a very important football game and, sorry, but I am not prepared for this question in this moment. I had other things to do in the last few days.”
Ajax vs Liverpool
The warm-ups are underway at the Johan Cruyff arena. This will be a tough game for Liverpool but they only need a point to progress out of the groups.
Kick off is at 8pm.
Fifty up for Robertson
Andy Robertson makes his 50th appearance in the Champions League for Liverpool tonight. Will he be celebrating with a win later on?
Pre-match thoughts of Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp seemed quite excited for tonight’s clash with Ajax and explained what he was looking forward to in a press conference earlier this week.
“I am really looking forward to the game, I am really positive, it is Champions League, it is Ajax, big names, a big game and all these kind of things. It’s all good. We have enough players here so we will give it a proper try.” siad Klopp.
“Yes, it would be absolutely great [to qualify on Wednesday], but I cannot sit here and tell you I feel it already as if we would be halfway through.
“There is a game and 95 minutes in between – and if it happens then I can tell you it was really big and really important, but in this moment we just prepare for the game.”
Liverpool ‘lead race for Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko’
Liverpool are believed to be the frontrunners in the chase for Borussia Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko.
The Daily Mail, via Spanish outlet Sport, says Reds manager Jurgen Klopp is enamoured with the 17-year-old, with the club tipped to beat European giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris St Germain to his signature once he becomes a free agent at the end of this season.
Liverpool ‘lead race for Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko’
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris St Germain are all interested in the 17-year-old
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