Liverpool edge past Ajax to seal top spot in Champions League group thanks to Curtis Jones’ winner

While Jurgen Klopp has been blaming the world for Liverpool’s injury problems, some of his players have been quietly advancing their careers.

Against West Ham here just over a month ago it was young central defender Nat Phillips who showed us that he could play. He was a player many felt would be moved on last summer.

Here against Ajax, it was a combination of right back Neco Williams and midfielder Curtis Jones who created and scored the winning goal. We have known about those two for a little while. But what about goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher? 

Curtis Jones was the hero of the night as he scored the only goal to send Liverpool through to Champions League knockouts

The youngster kept his composure to tap in from a tight angle after Andre Onana had made a blunder by missing the ball

Caoimhin Kelleher made a vitally important save to deny Klaas-Jan Huntelaar from point-blank range late on in the game

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp ran straight up to celebrate with Kelleher, who starred on his Champions League debut

The only sighting Liverpool supporters have had of the 22-year-old Irishman was almost a year ago at Villa Park. 

As Klopp and his first team were pursuing World Club Cup glory in Dubai, Kelleher was conceding five goals as a young team was taking a 5-0 League Cup hiding at Aston Villa.

Kelleher didn’t look as though he enjoyed that experience very much but he will certainly have enjoyed this one. Given his opportunity after Liverpool regular No 1 Alisson Becker suffered a muscle injury in training, Kelleher may have been as surprised as anybody to have been promoted above regular understudy, the Spaniard Adrian.

But when opportunities arrive, it is wise to take them and Kelleher did that with a moment of terrific reflex, concentration and resilience at the death here. 

David Neres had a glorious chance to score but could only strike the post on the angle just moments before Liverpool’s goal

Jurgen Klopp had another injury scare in the first half as Andy Robertson went down but the defender carried on playing

Liverpool goalkeeper Kelleher made a decent save in the first half after Davy Klassen had met a cross into the box

MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS

Liverpool (4-3-3): Kelleher 7.5; N Williams 7, Matip 7, Fabinho 7, Robertson 7; Henderson 7, Wijnaldum 7, jones 8; Jota 6 (Firmino 68min, 6), Mane 6, Salah 7 (R Williams 90).

Subs not used: Adrian, Jaros, Tsimikas, Cain, Origi, Minamino, Clarkson.

Scorer: Jones 58.

Booked: Wijnaldum, Henderson, Mane.

Manager: Jurgen Klopp 7.

Ajax (4-3-3): Onana 5; Mazraoui 7 (Huntelaar 86), Schuurs 6, Blind 7 (Martinez 86), Tagliafico 6; Alvarez 6 (Labyad 69, 6), Klaassen 6, Gravenberch 6; Antony 6, Tadic 7, Neres 6 (Traore 81).

Subs not used: Stekelenburg, Timber, Klaiber, Promes, Scherpen, Ekkelenkamp.

Booked: Schuurs, Blind.

Manager: Erik ten Hag 6.

Referee: Tobias Stieler 6. 

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Liverpool had not played well but were winning. 

Given the forthcoming fixture schedule and of course Liverpool’s issues with absent players, that was all that really mattered.

Having survived some Ajax pressure either side of half-time, Liverpool were leading and actually looking as comfortable as at any stage in the game when the Dutch team launched one last effort to take the point they probably deserved. 

A cross from the right was a good one and found the forehead of substitute Klaas Jan Huntelaar. 

The 37-year-old had only been on the field a matter of moments but his contact on the ball was good. It looked all over a goal from point blank range until Kelleher got both hands to the ball and diverted it up and around the post. The second part of that sentence was actually the impressive bit. 

To make the save was one thing but to get the ball away from attackers sniffing the follow-up was probably the most important part of all.

So with that Liverpool had the victory and Klopp was soon on to the field to give his goalkeeper a slap on the back and a little more too. It was a moment when we could have done with the Kop being full. 

They have always liked goalkeepers here and there is a fondness for the Irish too. An ovation would surely have been this.

None of that should detract from the satisfaction. Kelleher had already made saves – one in each half – from the Ajax full-back Noussair Mazraoui and the midfielder Antony. His effort at the end merely turned a good night in to an excellent one.

Liverpool needed his help, too. Everything they do looks and feels a little bit like a struggle at the moment and this was another night that could easily have ended differently. 

As it is, they are in to the next stage as group winners with a game to spare. Klopp will be able to rest his top players for next week’s final game at FC Midtjylland and that feels as important as anything else right now. 

Moments after that Klassen again found himself in space in the box but a teasing ball into the box just evaded him

Sadio Mane went down in the box under a challenge from Perr Schuurs but the referee was not interested in penalty appeals

The Liverpool players celebrated after finally breaking down a stubborn Ajax side with Jones’ goal proving to be the winner

The winning goal was a messy one and came just before the hour after a period that had seen Ajax threaten to break through. The visiting team had enjoyed a good spell in the first half but this was their best period. As well as Kelleher’s save from Antony, former Everton player Davy Klaassen had headed a great chance wide and as such Liverpool’s goal came completely against the direction of play.

Williams had a good night at full-back but his cross to the back post was a little over hit on this occasion. For some reason, though, Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana advanced from his line to try and catch it. He never had a chance of doing so and when he was stranded out of position, Jones showed admirable anticipation and technique to poke it over the line from beyond the far post with the outside of his right foot.

Jones had smashed the ball against the inside of the post at the other end in only the sixth minute. That strike was so pure that the ‘ping’ off the upright echoed around the empty stadium.

His goal was far less memorable but important just the same. Liverpool are not wholly recognisable at the moment but buried beneath the noise and the chaos, slithers of better news are to be found.

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