‘Reality is’ - Ajax boss pays Liverpool an immense compliment after Champions League loss

Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder had no complaints about his side’s late Champions League loss to Liverpool.

Joel Matip’s 89th-minute header gave the Reds a 2-1 win against the Dutch champions at Anfield. In total, Liverpool had 24 shots on goal compared to Ajax’s three.

It had looked like the visitors were going to hang on for a point after Mo Salah’s opener had been cancelled out by Mohammed Kudus in the first half.

And Ajax went close to taking the lead when Daley Blind nodded home a huge chance 14 minutes before Matip’s last-gasp intervention sent the home crowd into raptures.

But Schreuder recognised that Liverpool are ‘further ahead’ than the Amsterdam outfit.

He said: “We were not good enough on the ball in the first half. When that worked, the goal came right away. Of course you play against a top team. They have even more intensity than we do.

“The reality is that Liverpool are further ahead than us. If we were good on the ball we got control, but unfortunately that happened too little.

“When it gets physical, they are the parent, at corners for example. Then of course they are the better party.

“At half-time, we showed the goal and indicated that they should do this more often. If that ball from Daley Blind goes in, we are even ahead with 1-2. They got a lot of corners. We kept going for the 1-2. If there’s room for that, you should.

“In the final phase you have to keep the patience and overview. We must learn from this. We are still a developing team. For them, such an evening is very good.”