Jurgen Klopp made four changes to the Liverpool side today and it proved to be good decisions as they secured their first UEFA Champions League win of the season.
Joel Matip, Kostas Tsimikas, Thiago Alcantara, and Diogo Jota started today and contributed massively to the game.
Diogo Jota
Jota got his first start of the season after returning from injury just over a week ago. After scoring 21 goals last season, it was a no-brainer to give him the start today especially since we’ve been missing goals in the side recently.
He didn’t get on the scoresheet but his composure and attacking awareness were key to our first goal.
After winning the ball deep in Ajax’s half, Jota was closed down by both centre-backs. That left Mohamed Salah in acres of space. Jota found the Egyptian, giving him a clear goal-scoring chance.
He put in an amazing performance all round, winning all his tackles and ground duels while completing all his dribbles and crosses. More performances like this could earn him a regular spot in the team.
Diogo Jota vs Ajax:
100% tackles won
100% dribbles completed
100% crosses completed
6/6 ground duels won
3 fouls won
2 chances created
1 assistHe may not have scored, but what an underrated shift he's put in. Kudos. pic.twitter.com/kAAsY4ngRD
— The Anfield Buzz (@TheAnfieldBuzz) September 13, 2022
Joel Matip
His performance today won’t go unnoticed today especially after getting a late winner in front of the Kop. Besides his all-important match-winning goal, he won the most duels in the match and wasn’t dribbled past once.
He also made three tackles, three recoveries and an interception to round off an amazing defensive display.
Matip was a threat in the air as well, winning seven out of eight aerial duels. His goal wasn’t sheer luck as well, Matip had the second most shots (3), only behind van Dijk (4).
Joel Matip stats vs Ajax:
1 Match Winning Goal
3 Tackles
2 Accurate Long Balls
1 Successful Dribble
14 Duels Won (Most in match)
1 Interception
3 Recoveries
0 Times Dribbles Past#LFC pic.twitter.com/n4xAgvxCpf— StatATM (@StatATM) September 13, 2022
Kostas Tsimikas
The Greek Scouser came in for the injured Andrew Robertson and certainly made a claim to keep his spot once he returns.
He took the corner and assisted Matip perfectly to get the winning goal. With that assist, he is now averaging an assist every 74 minutes this season.
He also created the most chances (5) today and was a constant threat to Ajax both in attack and defense.
📊 Kostas Tsimikas created 5 chances tonight, assisting Joel Matip's winner. It's the most he's created in a single match for Liverpool. He's averaging an assist every 74 mins this season, and every 240 mins in his Liverpool career. #lfc [opta] pic.twitter.com/iRgh8PYCMZ
— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) September 13, 2022
Thiago
World-class. What more can we say about Thiago? In recent games, it was evident how much we missed his presence in the side.
We’ve lacked a player who could control the midfield, which is one of the reasons why our midfield has looked all over the place recently.
Thiago stepped in and controlled the tempo of the game, doing exactly what he does best. Now, we just have to hope he can stay fit for as long as possible.
What a performance from this man tonight 🪄@Thiago6 is your Player of the Match from #LIVAJA pic.twitter.com/jTlSrq1GCG
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 13, 2022
