Liverpool 1-0 Ajax: Jürgen Klopp’s reaction

The Reds clinched a place in the knockout phase of the tournament as Group D winners with a game to spare after a close encounter at Anfield.

Curtis Jones’s goal in the second half was enough to establish the result as he reacted smartly to direct a Neco Williams cross over the head of visiting goalkeeper Andre Onana in the 58th minute.

Liverpool were forced to switch between their own positions with Alisson Becker ruled out as a precaution due to hamstring strain, and Klopp chose to hand the young Caoimhin Kelleher a first European start.

The manager’s faith was rewarded when the 22-year-old made a confident display and made an excellent save to thwart Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s point-blank header when he died and prevent Ajax from taking a share of the points.

Read on for a transcript of Klopp’s post-match press conference …

On Liverpool’s result and display …

Massive, massive. No wonder it was an open game, it was an open game. I am absolutely over the moon with the attitude and character that we show tonight. That’s what it was all about, it is not the time of year for us, not to play football with blows, blows and blows, and less with an opponent like Ajax. We had football moments, great football moments, we could have scored early and defended well, which is a big part of football. We had counterattack chances and soccer chances in the second half, we scored a wonderful goal and we had to defend with everything we have. That’s the way it is in this part of the group stage. For Ajax, they were in the game and they must have thought it was all or nothing, that’s how they changed and had all their forwards, I think, on the field at the end. So, I am very, very, very happy with the result and the performance in the circumstances that we find ourselves in. Great.

On Jones’ goal …

It was a good center for Neco because it is not a center aimed at the goalkeeper. For the goalkeeper, it is a difficult situation to get there. Usually in the end it is a goal kick because no player reacts to these balls, but they are very important: balls behind the last line. Curtis, wow … I have to look back, I wasn’t in the best position in the stadium to see that goal exactly – there were a lot of Ajax players between me and the goal, but I saw when I was on the net and that’s enough information for me.

On the decision to select Kelleher in goal and his performance …

Upper part. Up up up. It’s a situation, which I have to say, it was easy to decide on Caoimhin because he simply deserves it, but it was difficult to decide against Adrian because he did so well for us – a lot of clean sheets, what a past season. year, Super Cup final and all that kind of thing. He did a very good job, but tonight we needed the Caoimhin pack, and he is a great talent anyway, but a very good plug and a great footballer so I like him. We needed that to put pressure on Ajax, we needed his chips from him in the middle spaces and this kind of thing. That was great, but of course in the end it’s about saving, keeping the ball out of the net, and he did it at least twice exceptionally. I’m pretty sure he will sleep very well tonight or not sleep at all, but he will enjoy both.

In his post-match comment that this is one of Liverpool’s best Champions League nights during his tenure …

They [other Champions League games] They were all great, but it was all under different circumstances, that’s right. We had followers. If someone now thinks that I like more than a game with our fans, of course that is not the case. But we don’t have fans in the stadium and then the difficult situation we’re in, winning that game 1-0, making a lot of changes… Robbo [got] a massive hit to his ankle in the first half, he needed straps and he needed another strap at halftime. Hendo [took] a good hit on the back, Gini played the game number … I don’t want to say it because I just hope he can continue. The children played exceptionally, the three forwards defended like hell from all directions. All of that is very important and the two middle halves were there when we needed them. It’s not now that we play the best football of all time, it’s about “this is the situation you’re in, that’s what you do.” In the end, we are leaders of the group after the fifth day. We’ve never been like this before so that’s really good and for us incredibly good.

On the severity of the blows suffered by Jordan Henderson and Andy Robertson …

We now have two more days than last week until the next game. I don’t know, things like this show up slightly different the next day. Right now I’m pretty positive about it, but I don’t know. But that is a problem for the next few days and not tonight.