"I wasn’t sure" - Joel Matip comments on his late winner for Liverpool against Ajax
Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip shared his thoughts after scoring the winner in their 2-1 win over Ajax in the UEFA Champions League yesterday (September 13).
It seemed set to be another winless match for the Reds this season as the scores were tied at 1-1 until the 89th minute at Anfield. However, they received a corner after Mohamed Salah's shot was deflected and went behind after hitting the post.
Kostas Tsimikas put a brilliant ball in from the corner which was headed towards goal by Matip. The ball was cleared on the line but goalline technology proved that it had crossed the line, handing Liverpool a much-needed victory.
Matip’s late header wins it for the Reds 🙌
#LIVAJA | #UCL https://t.co/7l2lIMjCMK
Speaking about the goal after the match, Matip told the club's website:
"We had a few opportunities before, so I was happy that I could score the goal. I wasn’t sure [it was in], to be honest, but when I saw the referee then the emotions came out."
Speaking about the match, he said:
"It was a long and tough game. We tried really over 90 minutes to create chances and we were pushing forward the whole team, defending from the first second and then it was a happy end for us."
Salah gave Liverpool an early lead after a neat pass from Diogo Jota. Mohammed Kudus then finished emphatically to equalize for Ajax but it wasn't enough as Matip secured the three points for the hosts.
Liverpool will next face Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield in the Premier League on October 1. Their clash against Chelsea this weekend has been postponed due to the deployment of the police force in preparation for Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral on September 19.
Liverpool get their third win of the season
The win over Ajax was only the Reds' third of the season in eight matches across all competitions so far.
It was a much improved performance by Jurgen Klopp's men after their 4-1 defeat against Napoli in their Champions League opener last week. They made an incredible 24 attempts on goal, with 10 being on target.
That was massively one-sided.
Liverpool with 23 shots and an xG of 2. Ajax with just three shots and an xG of 0.25. https://t.co/Rf8hJzJyAp
They have won just two games in the Premier League so far, a 9-0 win over Bournemouth and a 2-1 win over Newcastle United.
Liverpool are currently seventh in the league, six points behind leaders Arsenal.
They will hope a good performance against the Dutch champions will help them kickstart their season after the international break.