UEFA CL: Liverpool move into last 16 after Jones winner; Liverpool 1 - 0 Ajax

The Reds top the Group D table with 12 points.

UEFA CL: Liverpool move into last 16 after Jones winner; Liverpool 1 - 0 Ajax
Curtis Jones

Liverpool have booked a place in the knockout stage of the Champions League after a narrow victory over Ajax on Tuesday night.

Curtis Jones scored a second-half goal to move the Reds to 12 points on the League table.

Caoimhin Kelleher started in goal, preferred to Adrian as Klopp made five changes in total from the weekend with Joel Matip returning at centre-back to partner Fabinho whilst in attack Sadio Mane played in a front three with Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool started strongly in the opening minutes of the first half - Salah wriggled free in the box and set a ball back for Jones. The youngster caught the strike with great quality and Onana was left standing as the ball pinged back off the post to safety.

Ajax played bravely and their build-up play was high quality as they spotted spaces in the Reds pressing and took them on every time but the defensive pair of Matip and Fabinho was solid to let a slip-up.

Kelleher produced a fantastic save in the 32-minute after Mazraoui drove forward from full-back. It was a fantastic opportunity for Kelleher to produce a flying, over the top save for the cameras on his debut, and he took it, tipping the ball away for a corner.

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Liverpool upped their intensity but lacked finishing anytime they took the visitors on the counter.

Jones scored the game’s only goal 13 minutes into the second half after Williams sent one in from deep but it looked a poor ball initially with Onana thinking it was heading out for a goal kick. Jones was alive to the situation and managed to reverse a clever finish from near the by-line into the unguarded net.

Firmino’s introduction for Jota steadied the game and the Reds took control. Salah and Mane had chances to add Liverpool’s second but failed to struggle past the Ajax defence, miscalculating their steps most of the times.

Salah put Firmino through one-on-one in the 83-minute and he shot low to the left of Onana but the goalkeeper did brilliantly to keep it out.

The game ended on behalf of the Reds who have a game to spare despite qualifying with 12 points on top of Group D.