The Reds return to Champions League action tonight with a visit from Dutch side Ajax for their fifth group game of the competition – and will be looking to secure qualification to the knockout stages of the competition.
Jurgen Klopp’s side has had a tough time of it over the past few games, suffering a 2-0 loss to Atalanta in the European competition last Wednesday, and a painful draw to Brighton on Saturday after the Reds fell victim to VAR on three occasions during the game.
Our opponents for tonight are going into this game with a great run of form – Erik ten Hag’s side has scored 18 goals over their last five games winning all of them, but the good form stretches even further back than that.
Their last defeat, funnily enough, was their 1-0 loss to the might Reds during our first Champions League group game, meaning the Amsterdam outfit hasn’t lost since October… it is now December… you can see where I am going with this.
So, with the importance of this game hanging heavily over the heads of the Liverpool squad – what can we expect from the game against this in-form free-scoring Ajax side?
Can Liverpool beat Ajax?
Yes
No
Player to watch out for: Ajax, Lassina Traoré
It is hard to single out just one Ajax player at the moment with so many individuals performing fantastically for the Dutch side, but if I had to pick out one name it would be Lassina Traoré. The Burkinabe teenager joined Ajax from Ajax Cape Town in July 2019 and has certainly whipped up a storm this season, particularly in the club’s 13-0 win over VVV Venlo, just days after their defeat to us.
In their barnstorming win, Traoré scored 5 goals with 3 assists and certainly made his name known outside of the Netherlands. At just 19-years-old, Traoré has the world at his feet right now and even managed a goal and an assist in their 5-0 victory over Emmen at the weekend.
The Reds will need to keep a close eye on the teenager who is finding his feet well within Ajax’s first-team and it wouldn’t surprise me if we see the Burkinabe on the scoresheet tonight.
Player to watch out for: Liverpool, Diogo Jota
Maybe a bit of an obvious one, I know, but this season in the Champions League we have seen the Portuguese forward at his best. Diogo Jota kicked off his Champions League account with a goal against FC Midtjylland which was followed up with a hattrick against Atalanta just one week later.
The 23-year-old has scored 9 goals in his first 14 games for the Reds and even netted in the club’s 1-1 draw with Brighton at the weekend – meaning Jota is most certainly in-form right now and will be hoping to continue his pursuit of a place in the first-team if he features tonight against Ajax.
It has been a tough time on picking a starting XI as of late, with Jota adding to the goalscoring prowess of an already formidable front three in Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino, and Mo Salah – but I think tonight we will no doubt see the forward feature and I expect him to make a big dent on the game.
Score Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Ajax
Forever the optimist, but I think that with the squad we have at our disposal even with the current injuries and Ajax’s good form, the players available still have the quality and ability to go out and win this game comfortably in my opinion. The front-three are unaffected at the moment and the only real concern is in our defence.
Saying this, however, we will likely have a strong central defensive pairing in Joel Matip and either Fabinho or Rhys Williams tonight and I think they are more than good enough to keep Ajax at bay, even with their free-scoring results we have seen over the past few weeks.
A strong performance and a dominant show on the scoresheet is what I expect from Jurgen Klopp’s side tonight – so let’s just hope I’m on the money with this one at least.
What do you think Liverpool fans, are you optimistic against Ajax tonight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below…