Ajax got their Champions League campaign underway with a 1-0 loss against Liverpool. Michael Bell rates the Ajax stars.
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Andre Onana 7.5/10: Powerless to stop the goal, but Onana had a good game for Ajax. Calm with the ball at his feet and made some good saves when called upon.
Noussair Mazraoui 5/10: Struggled with the pace of Mane, and lost the ball in possession a few times which put the defence under pressure. Liverpool targeted his side.
Nicolas Tagliafico 5/10: Couldn’t sort his feet out and was unfortunate to score the own goal. However, not as assured as usual and didn’t contribute enough to the attack. Is Tagliafico’s head still in Amsterdam?
Perr Schuurs 7/10: Mane got past him for the goal, but other than that, Schuurs had a really good game and made a few last ditch blocks. Also brought the ball out of the defence well.
Lisandro Martinez 7/10: Came into the side at the back and didn’t put a foot wrong throughout the game. Was barely troubled by Salah or Firmino before they went off. A reliable performance from the defender.
Daley Blind 7/10: Was pushed into the midfield and did not let his side down. Calm on the ball and in possession. His positioning to intercept Liverpool attacks was excellent.
Ryan Gravenberch 6/10: Did well for an 18-year-old making his Champions League debut against the Premier League champions. However, he didn’t leave his mark on the game.
Davy Klaassen 7.5/10: Full of running all over the pitch. Got back to help out the defence constantly and was unlucky to see his strike cannon off the post in the second half. A performance that shows why he was brought back to the club.
Mohamed Kudus N/A: Came off after eight minutes and was a big miss for Ajax.
David Neres 6/10: Was energetic at the start and set up Promes for his big chance but the Brazilian struggled after the break. A decent performance but more to come from the attacker.
Dusan Tadic 5.5/10: Linked up play well early on, but should have equalised when through on goal. He faded badly in the second half and could not get involved. A capable striker but its clear Ajax are missing a natural finisher.
Substitutes
Quincy Promes 5/10: Came into the game earlier than expected due to the injury of Kudus. Missed a big chance before Liverpool scored and struggled to trouble the Ajax defence. A player clearly struggling for form at the moment.
Jurgen Ekkelenkamp 5/10: Came on with fifteen minutes left. Didn’t have a lot of time but should have done better with his late chance.
Zakaria Labyad 5/10: Didn’t really make an impact from the bench.
Klaas Jan Huntelaar N/A: Only on the pitch for a couple of minutes
Lassina Traore N/A: Only on the pitch for a couple of minutes
Think is good summary. Not a great game. Missed being there as crowd would have got right behind Ajax. Desperate own goal deflated team and for all chances created, never looked convincing in second half. Ajax substituted their better players and their threat diminished. So need a striker who can take anc chances created and score regularly.