Liverpool vs Ajax

Anfield plays host to Liverpool’s bid to get their Champions League Group A campaign underway against a relentless Ajax side.

Back to continental action after the postponement of their Premier League fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers due to Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Liverpool will be looking to avenge a humiliating 4-1 defeat at Napoli in their Group A curtain-raiser. After equalling their worst-ever Champions League loss, the ‘Reds’ are desperate to avoid starting a new season in Europe’s elite competition with back-to-back reverses for the first time in history. With the extended rest period likely to benefit Jurgen Klopp’s injury-hit squad, Liverpool are comfortable favourites to maintain a 100% win ratio against Ajax in the Champions League (W2) and take their competitive winning streak at Anfield to three matches. That could prove paramount to their bid to secure a top-place finish in the Champions League group stages for the fourth season running.

On the other hand, a high-flying Ajax thumped Rangers 4-0 in their Group A opener to stretch their winning streak in the Champions League group phase to seven matches. Reluctant to rest on their laurels, the ‘Lancers’ put five unanswered goals past fellow domestic rivals Heerenveen at the weekend, maintaining a 100% start to their Eredivisie title defence (W6). Unfazed by a couple of high-profile summer exits, Alfred Schreuder’s men have won their last five competitive outings via an aggregate score of 16-0. Ajax’s superb domestic form translates to their European travels. Indeed, they’ve suffered just one defeat in their last 16 away games in the Champions League, courtesy of a 1-0 loss at Anfield in December 2020. That suggests the perennial Dutch champions are in a prime position to arrest their five-game winless run against English clubs in the Champions League (D1, L4).