Liverpool vs Ajax. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats and more

Liverpool FC will host AFC Ajax in the UEFA Champions League second group stage match at the Anfield Stadium. The fixture will take place on September 13, beginning at 00:30 IST.

Parimatchnews will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.

Liverpool News & Current Form: 

After a solid previous season, in which at one point they were in contention for four trophies, the Reds decided to make only selective summer reinforcements, without any radical investments. ‘Why change what seems to be working already?’ – the management may have suggested. To keep the squad intact only Sadio Mane was sold to Bayern, bringing in Benfica Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez for €75.00m – the club’s biggest spend since the purchase of Virgil van Dijk.

Last year it would seem that the Merseysiders were obviously lacking just one element – a prolific centre-forward. However, all in on that point has failed to live up to its expectations. The Uruguayan is unconvincing (2 goals and 1 assist in 5 games). Meanwhile, the depth of the squad is currently extremely scarce – the Reds are suffering from a horrendous injury blow. Nine players are out of action at the moment due to injuries. The club is sorely lacking quality in many key positions because of the insufficient activity on the transfer market.

The hectic football schedule has also taken its toll on the players, with 63 competitive fixtures + many squad members featuring in the UEFA Nations League this summer. The players look really tired from the first games and the FIFA World Cup is still ahead, which is worrying considering the already terrible state of affairs. The Reds are really out of form.

All of the above has resulted in Liverpool not being themselves this season. Last week, the Merseysiders were devastatingly thrashed on the road against Napoli, 1-4. Luciano Spalletti prepared well for Jurgen Klopp’s visit, perfectly keepin in fact his reliance on aggressive pressing. Being in attack with a high manpower, the Reds’ midfielders had no time to cover Napoli’s flank players. Perhaps they should not have played with such a high defensive line, given the team’s personnel problems.

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Jurgen Klopp admitted afterwards that he held a meeting with all the players. Together, they repeatedly reviewed the fragments of the match in which they lost to Napoli. 

The coach has described the bigger picture as nothing less than a “horror show” and he has no intention of repeating it. The coach considers the match to be the worst ever of his tenure at the helm of the team.

“It was a real horror… 8 of the 11 players of the starting line-up acted below their level, another three players just played okay,”

remarked the German coach.

Of course, Klopp would like the team to rehabilitate themselves for this defeat at the weekend against Wolverhampton, but due to the postponement of the English Premier League tour, the mood and atmosphere around the club will have to be rectified in the match against Ajax.

Asked if his team would lose their rhythm because of the six-day break, Klopp said: 

“Did you see our last match? If we lose that rhythm, it will be good”.

The match against Napoli will indeed be hard to forget for a long time to come. Liverpool were losing 0-3 after the first half, although they could have conceded as many as six goals. Jurgen Klopp’s team played without energy and ideas in all lines, from defence to attack. After the game with Napoli, some English journalists began to talk about the sunset of the Klopp era, while the Reds coach himself said that the team needs to “reinvent themselves”.

The result and the quality of the game against Napoli come on top of the unpleasantness in the league with just two wins in six fixtures. Never under Klopp has Liverpool started the season so poorly.

The Reds should take advantage of this break to start showing their best football. Otherwise the German may simply lose his job.

Ajax News & Current Form: 

Ajax, in contrast, seem to have lost almost all their pillars of success. Head coach Erik ten Hag has left and more than half of the starting line-up has been sold, albeit with a staggering profit margin. Centre-backs Perr Schuurs and Lissandro Martinez, wing-backs Nicolas Tagliafico and Noussair Mazraoui, central midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, winger Antony and top scorer Sebastien Haller all left the team.

The Amsterdam side opted not to rely solely on their own internal reserves and spent roughly half of their $200m income to try and equally replace the team’s departed leaders. The most high-profile and expensive purchase was the acquisition of Steven Bergwein from Tottenham. The winger has already justified the €32m spent on him by scoring eight goals in eight games.

Also of note are the purchases of Rangers centre-back Calvin Bassey and RB Leipzig striker Brian Brobbey. And left-back Owen Wijndal will not be available for the upcoming match due to injury, but that is Ajax’s only loss, which is a way better situation than in the camp of the upcoming opponent.

Despite such global changes, the Dutch are doing excellent at the moment. After losing 3-5 to PSV in the Super Cup, Ajax won all six of their games in the Eredivisie with a combined score of 21-3, securing 4 clean sheets.

Talking about the UCL campaign, so far the prerequisites are very positive: Ajax clinched a 4-0 win against Glasgow Rangers (UEFA Europa League runners-up). The statistics speak for themselves. The Amsterdam side held possession 71% of the time, took seven corner kicks and made 17 shots, including nine on target. In this way, the club showed that they can beat not only the Netherlands mid-tablers and outsiders, but also the Europa League finalist.

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Liverpool form guide (all comp.): D-L-W-W-D-L

Ajax form guide (all comp.): W-W-W-W-W-W

Liverpool vs Ajax Head-To-Head Record: 

In 2020, these teams crossed paths in the  group with Liverpool winning both games by the same score of 1-0. Remarkably, the Reds approached those games against Amsterdam against a backdrop of setbacks. Before the visit to Amsterdam, there was a three-game winless streak, while ahead of the home game, Liverpool won only once out of four.

Liverpool vs Ajax Predicted XI:

Liverpool possible starting lineup: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Elliott, Fabinho, Thiago; Jota, Nunez, Diaz.

Ajax possible starting lineup: Pasveer; Rensch, Timber, Bassey, Blind; Berghuis, Alvarez, Taylor; Tadic, Kudus, Bergwijn.

Statistical preview of the match Liverpool vs Ajax:

• The Dutch champions are going undefeated this season, winning all seven meetings, including the opening UCL round against Rangers (4-0).
• 19 of Ajax’s 25 goals in the 2022/23 season were scored at home. 
• Ajax have won in each of their last 7 away games.
• Ajax have scored and conceded in 6 of the last 7 Champions League away games.
• The Amsterdam side have not lost in regular time in 21 of their previous 22 away games in the Champions League.
• Ajax have scored less than 2.5 goals in 5 of the last 6 away games.
• Liverpool have not lost at home since March (Champions League game with Inter 0-1).
• Liverpool have conceded ten goals in seven games in the 2022/23 season.
• Liverpool have scored less than 2.5 goals in 6 of the last 7 home games.

What has been said before the match:

Jurgen Klopp,  the Liverpool gaffer:

“We had a meeting, showed them the situations and I didn’t have to say a lot [about Napoli]. The players know. We brought ourselves to this situation. We had obvious football problems which was from misjudgments. Everyone wanted to sort it by themselves. No structure. We had 4 or 5 days now of absolute truth. Not to knock the players down, just to make sure where we are now, this is the starting point for us to sort the problems together on the pitch. No pointing at each other.”

“I don’t want to give Ajax some sort of hint of what to expect tomorrow night. We don’t have to create headlines before the game, to create positive headlines after the games is from what we do on the pitch. But we’re just not consistent enough so far (this season).”

“We have to show a reaction, we know that. It doesn’t mean we get a result v Ajax. A massive rebuild for them but a really good job. Ajax are in the Champions League and they belong there. Are they the strongest team in the competition? I haven’t seen the rest yet. The situation about the group is not massively helpful but it’s a home game in the Champions League. We make sure we play different to Napoli and we’ll see.”

Jurgen is very upset about this summer’s transfer campaign

Alfred Schreuder, the Ajax gaffer: 

“We expect to go into a storm. We are also good. We want to try and play our game. Against teams like this you have to be very good on the ball against these kinds of teams. And more importantly you should have a courage. That’s the key word for tomorrow. If we can do that, we have a chance. If we can’t, it is going to be difficult, especially in one on one duels.”

“The intensity of the Premier League is many times higher, but we are Ajax and I think Ajax have shown in recent years in Europe that they can keep up at this level. That’s also a challenge for tomorrow, with the new players we have. But we do know that Liverpool are taunted. It’s the strongest opponent in this league for us.”

Alfred Schreuder is doing fine in Ajax so far

Liverpool vs Ajax Prediction:

Liverpool and Ajax are often described as teams with a similar philosophy and are admired for their commitment to attacking football. But this match is in some sense antagonistic if you consider everything that has happened to Liverpool and Ajax this season.

Liverpool are not playing well either offensively or defensively. In particular, they have serious problems at the back: despite the fact that all the core defenders were available in the match against Napoli – they looked like they were playing with each other for the first time. Only Alisson is performing at a proper level.

If Klopp can get the game going in the week since the match in Italy, it will be miraculous, but it is more likely that the Reds will still continue to allow chances in their penalty area. Ajax, despite the loss of Anthony to Man Utd, are still capable of scoring and producing results, so it is unlikely that they will lose. But even if they do, it will certainly not be by a huge margin.

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Parimatch News staff prediction:

We say: Ajax to win with a handicap (+1.5) – Yes.