Liverpool 1-0 Ajax: Champions League – as it happened

5.28pm EST 17:28

Andy Hunter was at Anfield, and his report is in. You know what to do: clickity click. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

Jones sinks Ajax to send Liverpool through after Alisson adds to crisis

5.27pm EST 17:27

Klopp: the kids are alright. “Since I am in Liverpool that is one of the biggest Champions League nights … for sure without supporters it was the most important, the most difficult and most exceptional game … the circumstances are tricky, and then how the kids play, Robbo with a proper knock on the ankle, pushing himself through, Hendo with a proper knock on the back, Gini I have no words for him, Curtis Jones, what a game from a 19-year-old boy … I am really proud of them … I think Adrian did an incredible job for us last season, clean sheets, Super Cup final … but now in this game we needed the natural football playing ability of Kelleher, so we made that decision … I am really happy with how calm and good Kelleher was … Neco has shown glimpses, he can be even better, but tonight it was all good.”

5.14pm EST 17:14

An extremely content Caoimhin Kelleher speaks to BT Sport. “It was amazing for me to make my debut … it was massive for me … [making saves] is what I’m there for, I work every day in training to make sure that I am ready and prepared and thankfully today I was able to make a few good saves … the players in front of me, when I get the ball they always give me easy options … [the young players] aren’t just here to take part, we want to play as many games as we can, we’re actually making a difference and we’re improving the team as well … my phone’s been hopping since I got in, so big thanks for all the support I’ve been getting!”

5.06pm EST 17:06

Jordan Henderson’s verdict. “It was a very tough game, as we knew it would be, but I thought the boys were outstanding … we deservedly got the win … we should have scored a few more given the chances we had … we were unlucky not to win by two or three, but we’re delighted with the three points and also the clean sheet … Curtis has gambled that the keeper is going to miss it, and it’s a great finish … we managed the game a little bit better in the second half … we know the injury problems we’ve got, but the togetherness is big in this dressing room and stuff like this makes us stronger.”

4.58pm EST 16:58

Klopp is ecstatic. Neco Williams is also the recipient of a bear hug from his elated manager. Kelleher and Williams have earned their power-cuddles; both were excellent tonight. See also Curtis Jones, who scored the winner and hammered another shot against the woodwork. It’s been a good night for Liverpool’s kids. Not so great for Ajax’s youngsters: Atalanta’s 1-1 draw with Midtjylland means the Italians leapfrog them into second place. Ajax will now have to beat Atalanta in the final round of fixtures next week if they want to progress. Klopp can do what he likes in the final, dead rubber against the Danes, a match with absolutely nothing resting on it. Expect to see a starting XI that redefines experimental.

4.53pm EST 16:53

FULL TIME: Liverpool 1-0 Ajax

Liverpool have qualified for the knockout phase, beating Ajax thanks to a Curtis Jones goal (and an Andre Onana mistake). They were deserved winners tonight … and deservedly win Group D as well. Jurgen Klopp runs onto the pitch and heads straight for Caoimhín Kelleher, who made a crucial save near the end. A huge smile, an even bigger hug.

4.51pm EST 16:51

90 min +3: Mane is booked when his arm slaps into the startled coupon of Tagliafico.

4.50pm EST 16:50

90 min +2: Schuurs flings a long one into the mixer. Most un-Ajax. Kelleher comes out to claim with confidence.

4.49pm EST 16:49

90 min +1: Henderson takes one for the team, going in the book for tugging back Gravenberch, who was threatening to break upfield.

4.46pm EST 16:46

88 min: Antony swings one in from the right. Huntelaar meets it with his head, six yards out. It’s flashing towards the top right … but Kelleher makes a fantastic point-blank save, parrying out for a corner!

Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher makes an instinctive save from Ajax’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

Updated at 4.53pm EST

4.46pm EST 16:46

86 min: With time running out, Ajax press the kitchen-sink button. Blind and Mazraoui are replaced by Martinez and Huntelaar. May as well go for it.

4.44pm EST 16:44

85 min: Firmino sends Salah away down the right. Salah enters the box and sends a wild effort across the face of goal and towards the left-hand corner flag. The flag belatedly goes up for offside, saving a few blushes.

4.43pm EST 16:43

84 min: Nothing comes of the corner. Liverpool should have put this group to bed … but Ajax are still in it. One goal, and everything will go to the final matchday.

4.42pm EST 16:42

83 min: Firmino, Henderson and Salah combine crisply down the middle at speed. Suddenly Firmino is free in the box! He should score, but in looking to pass into the bottom right, allows Onana to tip round for a corner.

4.39pm EST 16:39

81 min: Neres has picked up an injury after an accidental clatter into Williams. He’s replaced by Traore.

4.39pm EST 16:39

80 min: Some fine work by Williams down the right, as he spins clear of Tagliafico and sets Liverpool off on the attack. Henderson’s cross evades the eyebrows of Mane by a couple of inches.

4.37pm EST 16:37

79 min: Atalanta have equalised against Midtjylland. It’s 1-1 in Bergamo.

4.35pm EST 16:35

77 min: Robertson barrels down the left at jet speed, entering the box. He’s got four team-mates in the middle, but somehow only finds Blind, who deflects clear.

4.34pm EST 16:34

75 min: Ajax surround Firmino, 25 yards from the Liverpool goal. Firmino somehow slithers out of trouble and races up the middle, his pass this close to releasing Mane down the middle. Schuurs intercepts. That could have been one of the great assists. Wonderful play by Firmino.

4.31pm EST 16:31

73 min: Salah has the ball at his feet inside the Ajax box, but can’t carve out enough space to shoot. Eventually Ajax clear their lines. Liverpool still looking for that elusive second goal and some much-needed breathing space.

4.30pm EST 16:30

72 min: Tadic nearly turns Matip down the left. Just as it looks as though he’ll race clear into the Liverpool box, Matip recovers and pressurises him into running the ball out for a goal kick. Fine defending.

4.29pm EST 16:29

70 min: Labyad comes on for Alvarez. Then Wijnaldum is booked for standing on Tadic’s foot.

4.28pm EST 16:28

69 min: Onana and Blind make a meal of playing out from the back. The ball squirts away to Henderson, who hits a first-time low drive back towards the goal Onana’s not currently guarding. Fortunately for the keeper, the spectacular improvised effort sails wide left.

4.25pm EST 16:25

67 min: Blind sprays a pass right towards Antony, who shuttles down the flank for Mazraoui. Fabinho comes across to block out for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.

4.23pm EST 16:23

65 min: Salah makes his apologies to Onana. The keeper gets up and he’s good to go again.

4.22pm EST 16:22

64 min: Antony is causing a few problems down the right. He jets infield and whistles a low shot straight at Kelleher. Liverpool go straight up the other end, Salah chasing a long ball down the middle and accidentally clattering Onana as the keeper races out of his box to clear.

4.21pm EST 16:21

62 min: Salah races through the middle. He’s clear! But he’s never quite in control of the ball, and Schuurs nips in to pass back. But his touch is weak, giving Salah another chance! Onana is the hero this time, racing out and smothering. This has been a very entertaining match.

4.19pm EST 16:19

60 min: This is far from over, though. Neres crosses from the left. Klaassen chests down on the penalty spot, and prepares to shoot, only for Fabinho to get in the road, chest down, hold his man off, and hack clear. So close to a quick-fire equaliser.

A smart finish by Jones at the back post. Photograph: Phil Noble/PA

Updated at 4.37pm EST

4.18pm EST 16:18

GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Ajax (Jones 58)

Williams curls in from a deep position on the right. The ball’s dropping at the far post. Onana comes racing out and misses it altogether. Just as the ball looks like floating out for a goal kick, Jones steers the dropping ball into the unguarded net from the tightest of angles. What an error from Onana! But that was some finish by Jones, who kept his eye on the ball and tucked it away beautifully.

Liverpool’s Curtis Jones scores after an error by Onana. Photograph: Jan Kruger/UEFA/Getty Images

Updated at 4.20pm EST

4.16pm EST 16:16

57 min: Antony cuts in from the right and shoots low towards the bottom left. Kelleher sticks out an arm to save, but the ball squirts left to Neres, who lashes a shot off the post and out for a goal kick. He should have tucked that away, though Williams did extremely well to heave into view and put him off.

4.14pm EST 16:14

56 min: Matip clatters into the back of Tadic, and is fortunate not to follow Blind into the book. Tadic felt that one, and takes a while to get up. But get up he eventually does.

4.13pm EST 16:13

54 min: Neres one-twos with Tadic down the inside-left channel and flashes a shot into the side netting. The flag goes up late for offside. Mane makes off down the Liverpool left and prepares to shoot, before Schuurs slides in to block. No corner, though, as a late flag goes up again.

4.11pm EST 16:11

52 min: Mane gets to the byline down the left and loops long. The ball’s dropping for Williams, haring in from the right. Williams prepares to meet it on the volley … but Salah runs across him, getting right in his way. Williams is forced to pause and when he eventually makes a connection, the ball balloons softly towards Onana. It’s not quite clicking for Liverpool up front.

4.09pm EST 16:09

50 min: Ajax should be ahead. Neres reaches the byline on the left and whips towards the near post. Klaassen meets the cross with a header, six yards out, but sends it wide left when it was surely easier to score. Liverpool breathe again.

An unmarked Davy Klaassen of Ajax heads wide. Photograph: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images

Updated at 4.19pm EST

4.08pm EST 16:08

49 min: Williams and Henderson combine well down the right. Henderson swings infield for Mane, in loads of space for a couple of seconds. He uses them up and is tackled cleanly by Mazraoui. What a wonderful saving tackle.

Liverpool’s Sadio Mane is tackled cleanly by Ajax’s Noussair Mazraoui. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AP

Updated at 4.13pm EST

4.06pm EST 16:06

47 min: Salah knocks a simple pass straight out of play. He’s cut a frustrated figure all evening.

4.04pm EST 16:04

Ajax get the second half underway. There have been no half-time changes. “Call me a shell-shocked Liverpool fan but I fully expect this match to be decided by the Dutch legend Van der VAR. Looking at the Ajax bench, I wonder how many Champions League minutes Timber has logged. No more bad name puns, I Promes.” Peter Oh, there, brazenly traipsing all over Mac Millings’ patch.

3.47pm EST 15:47

HALF TIME: Liverpool 0-0 Ajax

Gravenberch glides past Matip down the left and looks for goal. He leans back, the ball sails into the Kop, and that’s the end of an excellent half. As things stand, Liverpool are going through.

3.45pm EST 15:45

45 min: Tagliafico wins a corner off Williams out on the left. Tadic takes. Klaassen eyebrows on at the near post, but Mane clears. There will be one added minute.

3.44pm EST 15:44

44 min: This is great end-to-end fun. First Tadic nearly dinks his way into space in the Liverpool box, but is denied by a last-ditch toe-poke by Fabinho. Then Robertson sails down the left and tries to catch Onana out at his near post, but flahses into the side netting instead.

3.43pm EST 15:43

42 min: Wijnaldum curls a long pass down the right for Mane. Schuur comes across and cleans him out. He’s booked, and perhaps lucky to escape a red, given Mane would have been clear had he got past the defender. The fact he was on the wing, with two other Ajax players tracking back in the middle, probably saved Schuur there.

Liverpool’s Sadio Mane is fouled by Ajax’s Perr Schuurs . Photograph: Peter Byrne/Reuters

Updated at 3.48pm EST

3.40pm EST 15:40

40 min: Jota dribbles down the middle. He’s got Jones to his left, Salah to his right. He decides to shoot instead, and is blocked by the very impressive Schuurs.

3.39pm EST 15:39

39 min: Henderson is sent scampering into acres down the middle by a cute Mane backflick. He should probably shoot, but opts to feed Jones to his left. Jones and Robertson over-think it, and eventually give the ball away to Onana.

3.37pm EST 15:37

37 min: Mane backs himself in a footrace with Schuurs down the left. He loses out, something that doesn’t happen too often, as the big young defender keeps up with ease, then stands his ground powerfully as the pair go shoulder to shoulder. A good battle, that. Hard but fair.

3.35pm EST 15:35

35 min: Jota is cynically tugged back by Alvarez, who is lucky not to go into the book. Henderson takes the free kick, just to the right of the D, but blooters it straight into the wall.