Mohamed Salah provides spark to change Liverpool’s night and secure Champions League progress

Ajax 0 Liverpool 3

In a season of maddening inconsistency for Jürgen Klopp he has at least found familiar comfort in the Champions League. Liverpool secured their place in the knock-out stages with a game to spare, their troubled away form and injury problems forgotten as qualification was wrapped up with an ultimately comfortable defeat of Ajax.

Mohamed Salah opened the scoring against the run of play to move closer to Liverpool’s overall European goalscoring record. With one delicate flick he turned the mood of the entire night. Ajax, after a determined opening, wilted on the spot and second-half goals from Darwin Núñez – his fourth in four starts – plus Harvey Elliott sealed second place in Group A behind rampant winners Napoli.

There were shades of Napoli to Liverpool’s start at a raucous Johan Cruyff Arena where their defence was prised apart and their woodwork was struck from Ajax’s first attack. In Naples Victor Osimhen had struck the base of a Liverpool post after 42 seconds. This time it was Steven Berguis who hit the frame of the goal with only 128 seconds gone to intensify an impressive atmosphere. He should have accomplished far more. Davy Klaassen and Daley Blind combined near the corner flag with the former Manchester United defender’s pass deflecting to Brian Brobbey inside the Liverpool area.

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The Ajax centre forward held off Virgil van Dijk and laid the ball off to Berghuis, who stepped around Andy Robertson on his 50th Champions League appearance for Klopp’s team. The goal was at the mercy of the midfielder but, with Alisson to beat from close range, his low shot cannoned off a post to safety. Unlike Napoli, Liverpool learned from the reprieve, although it took a while. Alisson was making his 200th appearance for the club and faced sustained early pressure in his quest to preserve a 90th clean sheet in the Liverpool goal.

The Brazil international intervened to prevent Jorge Sánchez’s cross reaching the unmarked Dusan Tadic at the back post. Berghuis curled just wide from distance after Trent Alexander-Arnold had given the ball away cheaply, Sánchez shot straight at Alisson from 25 yards and Tadic had a glorious chance when Brobbey broke down the right and crossed low for his captain standing unmarked inside the area. Alexander-Arnold recovered just in time to block Tadic’s powerful drive. Ajax were by far the more creative and dangerous team for the majority of the first half.

Their lack of killer instinct would haunt them, however. Liverpool offered little in the final third with Salah’s blocked volley from Robertson’s delivery in the 29th minute their first genuine threat of note. The visitors had opened in a 4-3-3 formation as Klopp reverted to his trusted formation with Núñez stationed on the left of the attack. It was soon changed to a 4-4-2 with Roberto Firmino dropping deep to orchestrate play for Núñez and Salah.

The Uruguay international, who missed Saturday’s defeat at Nottingham Forest with a slight hamstring problem, reverted to theatrics when going to ground holding his face after non-existent contact from central defender Calvin Bassey.

The moment appeared to sum up Liverpool’s frustration in the final third. But then, from almost out of nowhere, they claimed an invaluable lead. It was a goal created superbly by Jordan Henderson and executed brilliantly by Salah. Receiving a Firmino pass out on the left, the Liverpool captain rode a challenge from Ajax right back Sánchez and flicked a beautiful, instant pass with the outside of his right foot into Salah’s darting run through the middle of the home defence.

Remko Pasveer came racing off his line and succeeded only in inviting the Egypt international to clip a first-time finish over him and into a gaping goal. It was Salah’s 40th European goal for Liverpool, taking him to within one of the club record established by Steven Gerrard.

Belief immediately drained from Ajax, players and supporters alike. Liverpool should have doubled their lead before half-time when Robertson took Joe Gomez’s searching pass in his stride, darted away from Steven Bergwijn, and pierced the Ajax defence with a precise pass into Firmino. The Brazilian opted not to shoot and picked out Núñez completely unmarked at the back post instead but, with an open goal to aim for, the striker struck the post.

Amends were made quickly in the second half when Núñez headed Liverpool into a two-goal lead from a Robertson corner. With Fabinho taking care of Jurrien Timber around a crowded penalty spot, the centre forward spun away from Sanchez to send a stooping header beyond Pasveer and into the far corner.

It was three just three minutes later Elliott rounded off a flowing move with a fine finish into the roof of the Ajax goalkeeper’s net. Salah turned exquisite provider this time, receiving Alexander-Arnold’s pass in a central position and releasing the young midfielder with a superb ball behind the Ajax defence.

Elliott applied the final touch that the pass deserved to beat Pasveer from a tight angle. Ajax coach Alfred Schreuder heard his substitutions heckled and jeers accompany a home performance that went rapidly downhill following Salah’s opener.

The Europa League awaits the Dutch champions next year. For Liverpool, it is the familiar ground of the Champions League knock-out phase that beckons for a sixth successive season. – Guardian