Ajax vs Liverpool
20:00, Wednesday 26th August
Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdan
Champions League League
Referee: José María Sánchez (ESP)
We find ourselves very much at the business end of the Champions League Group Stage this week – five of thirty-two teams are already guaranteed a place in the Knockout Phase, and a handful more will likely join them by the time Wednesday is done. That very much applies to Group A, where a point for Liverpool – away in Amsterdam – will assure them of a place in the draw for February’s Round of 16 matches. Despite a six-point deficit to their visitors, however, Ajax themselves will see opportunity when reflecting on Liverpool’s form and each side’s remaining fixtures.
The clubs’ meeting at Anfield last month was only a fifth competitive match in their history, with Liverpool claiming a 2-1 victory. The sides were tied at 1-1 going into the final moments of the match, courtesy of Moham(m)ed’s Salah & Kudos – Joel Matip’s late winner ensures that the group feels very differently going into this week’s match than it might otherwise have done so. Previous meetings between the sides have also been in the same competition, with Ajax achieving a 7-3 aggregate victory over Liverpool in the European Cup Second Round in 1966-67 and the Reds claiming a pair of 1-0 victories over their opponents in the 2020-21 Champions League Group Stage.
After the relatively fallow 00s period, Ajax have looked in good health again over the last decade or so. Legendary centre-back, Frank de Boer won four successive titles (as he did as a play in the 90s) as Ajax manager between 2010-11 and 2013-14 – after a transitional period, Ajax then won three in succession (and were leading the Covid-abandoned 2019-20) under Erik ten Hag, prior to his departure to take over at Manchester United this summer. The peak of recent Ajax is surely the young team that won the league in 2018-19 but had their hearts broken by Lucas Moura in the Champions League Semi Final – that team, featuring Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong, Donny van de Beek, and Hakim Ziyech, was one of those fantastic Ajax sides that comes along every generation or so to remind everyone of the magic that surrounds the club.
As was largely expected, Erik ten Hag’s 2018-19 Ajax side began to be dismantled by the pressures & temptations of the wider footballing market just as it hit its peak – de Ligt and de Jong departed in 2019 itself, whilst van de Beek and Ziyech followed a year later. Only really Daley Blind and Dusan Tadic – formerly of United and Southampton, respectively – remain, and a number of further departures (including ten Hag himself) brought the curtain down on that Ajax team during this summer.
The club remain in good health domestically, however – they’ve won the last three league titles and a couple of cups, and have a 4 point lead over regular rivals PSV & Feyenoord a third of the way through their first Eredivisie season with new coach Alfred Schreuder. They’ve scored 15 in their last three in the league, but face PSV in their next match – having lost only to 4th-place AZ so far during their league season, the PSV match will be a significant indicator as to where Ajax stand this season: a win and they strengthen a strong position at the top, but a defeat would suggest potential weaknesses in their armour and give rivals cause for optimism for when the league picks up again in the new year.
Schreuder’s Ajax began with a commanding 4-0 home victory over Rangers (returning after an eleven year absence) in their opening Champions League Group Stage match, but have since followed the loss to Liverpool with two comprehensive defeats to Napoli. As things stand, that Joel Matip goal could prove a pivotal one – Ajax will however feel that Liverpool’s Champions League wins and their recent victory over Manchester City represent the Reds flattering to deceive, and it’s not incomprehensible that the Ajax and Liverpool could both end the Group Stage on 9 points each. A big game awaits for both clubs.
