Ajax also lost their penultimate group game in the Champions League. Liverpool were 3-0 too strong in the Johan Cruijff Arena. Due to this result, the team from Amsterdam was eliminated from the round of 16 of the Champions League.

However, Ajax are all but certain of staying in the Europa League as Rangers FC lost 3-0 at Napoli. Only a defeat of more than four goals, next week at Rangers, would still be fatal for Ajax.

Win by a two-goal difference, that was the motto if Ajax still wanted to stay in the race for the round of 16 in the Champions League. The Amsterdam team had at least two great chances before the break.

Almost a dream start

The first came after three minutes. Brian Brobbey set up the ball for Steven Berghuis, who first passed an opponent and then got free, but the post prevented Ajax’s dream start.

Ajax had the better game in the first half, resulting in two nice shots for Berghuis and Jorge Sánchez. And such a great opportunity.

After a lightning-fast breakout, three Ajax attackers met two defenders. Brobbey gave up and a skilful transfer from Bergwijn got the ball to Dusan Tadic. But the captain was denied by goalkeeper Alisson.

Up until that moment, Liverpool were letting the Amsterdam team through, but that changed just before half-time. Jordan Henderson gave the ball to Mohamed Salah after a mistake by Sánchez, Remko Pasveer came out of his goal unnecessarily and the Egyptian outwitted the goalkeeper with a beautiful chip to make it 1-0.

Things almost got worse two minutes later but, to Ajax’s relief, Darwin Núñez fired the post clear from close range.

Sledgehammer hits after rest

So Ajax was able to start the second half with a somewhat hopeful feeling. But that feeling quickly faded after two sledgehammers from Liverpool’s break.

In the 49th minute, Pasveer was able to convert the ball from a tricky Núñez shot into a corner, but the poorly marked Uruguayan – who was also Ajax’s henchman at Benfica last year – headed in from that corner flawlessly to make it 2-0.

And three minutes later, the already weakening Ajax scored the next goal: after a pass from Salah, 19-year-old Harvey Elliott slammed the ball hard into the goal roof.

Champions League in the garbage

The hope of hibernating in the Champions League could finally be thrown into the trash. Coach Alfred Schreuder intervened – Mohammed Kudus, Owen Wijndal and Kenneth Taylor came on for Daley Blind, Davy Klaassen and Brobbey – but it never became a match again.

Taylor still had a great chance to salvage the honor, but he fired high over Sanchez’s pass.