Liverpool must put the disappointment of losing to bottom placed Premier League side Nottingham Forest behind them. Tonight they are in Amsterdam for Group A matchday 5 in the Champions League.
With Napoli having qualified already from the group after four wins from four, it is between Ajax and Liverpool to decide who qualifies for the knockout phase.
The reds hold the advantage in terms of points, but after tonight the reds face Napoli whilst Ajax face Rangers in the final group game.
Liverpool need a draw to qualify for the knockout phase. A win for Ajax would mean the reds would need to get something from the final game against Napoli.
Ibrahima Konate and Darwin Nunez should be back available for the reds. Thiago is still absent after that ear infection from the weekend.
Here's how the game unfolded.
As it happened...
Ajax may have suffered two defeats against Napoli and one so far against Liverpool, but they are in red hot form domestically.
They have a four point lead at the top of the league with 9 wins and 1 draw from their 11 games so far this season.
They have scored 38 goals and conceded just ten times in those eleven games.
Steven Bergwijn (10 goals), Mohammed Kudus (9) and Brian Brobbey (8) lead the way in terms of goals.
He has 89 clean sheets in his 199 appearances so far.
What a signing he has been for us!
Nunez returns to the starting line up.
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Elliott, Salah, Firmino, Nunez.
Subs: Adrian, Kelleher, Konate, Milner, Jones, Tsimikas, Ramsay, Carvalho, Bajcetic, Phillips.
Here's how the home team line up.
Pasveer, Sánchez, Timber, Blind, Bassey, Klaassen, Álvarez, Berghuis, Bergwijn, Brobbey, Tadic
Subs: Gorter, Stekelenburg, Rensch, Magallán, Grillitsch, Kudus, Taylor, Lucca, Ocampos, Wijndal, Coneição
Liverpool playing in their third green strip tonight.
Liverpool need a point to qualify for the next phase but Klopp isn't interested.
"I don't understand how you can go for a point, you can only get a point by trying to win.
"Ajax is a great club and it's in their DNA to be an attacking team. But that creates spaces for us and hopefully we can use that."
On Nunez, Henderson and Trent returning to the starting line up
"It is positive, they are the changes we can make and they make sense. The three of them should be fresh.
"The others have played a little more but they have had time to recover.
"We come here in a good mood. It will be an outstanding atmosphere and we have to play our part.
"What will our formation be? You have to work that out yourselves."
Underway at Johan Cruiyff Arena.
2' Berghuis hits the post. Liverpool almost conceding within the first two minutes. Not great.
15' Liverpool have regained a little bit of composure after a bit of a barnstorming opening 10 minutes from Ajax.
And with that another ball whipped across the Liverpool defence but Alisson had that well under control.
Berghuis with another chance - attempting a curler from outside the box.
25' Cross-field pass by Trent and somehow Robbo manages to fail to control it and its out for a throw in. Then Alvarez gets the ball under pressure and manages to spin through TWO Liverpool players.
A mild improvement.
29' First chance for Liverpool after a free kick. Gomez sends the ball across the pitch to Robbo and then Salah's volley is blocked. Then a Trent cross is well interecepted by the Ajax keeper, it had been sent into a good position inside the area.
32' Henderson crosses into a dangerous area but there were no Liverpool players where there should have been.
35' The Dutch side find themselves with a 4 v 2 situation.
Tadic shot is blocked by Trent Alexander-Arnold. He didn't know much about that - he turned his back on the ball.
38' Theatrics from Darwin Nunez who goes down as if he had been shot.
In reality he had received a minor touch from the opposition defender.
Quite rightly, an Ajax free kick. The Uruguayan needs to knock that off.
41' Would you believe it. Henderson swings in a great cross and the keeper is stranded - he's come out to get it but Salah gets there first and sticks it in the net.
Totally against the run of play. We'll take it! 1-0.
43' Darwin Nunez has to do better there. Great bit of play from Liverpool but he manages to fire his shot at the post when it was easier to stick it in.
HT: Ajax 0-1 Liverpool
Liverpool took the lead after a pretty horrible first 40 minutes in which Ajax had numerous chances. But weirdly it could have been 2-0 for the dysfunctional reds. A great passage of play saw Nunez hit the post.
Thankfully Mo continues his European exploits and Liverpool lead.
Ajax have to win this game or they are out of the Champions League so they will have to go for it in the second half. This 'could' open up nicely now for the reds if they regain some focus.
European nights ???? @LFC pic.twitter.com/K3jB88ypzv
— Ian Rush MBE (@Ian_Rush9) October 26, 2022
Back underway.
Liverpool with the slender lead at the half way stage. Close to qualifying for the knock out stages.
49' There we go. Another goal for Darwin Nunez who makes up for the effort at the end of the first half.
Andy Robertson cross from a corner and Nunez header. How we missed those against Forest. 2-0.
51' It's 3-0! A wonderful finish from Elliott after excellent play from Salah.
This, as expected is all over.
Well it's getting to that period where Ajax will start rendering this done and dusted.
They need to score four goals to stay in this seasons Champions League.
Correction to our last tweet.
Ajax need to score five goals.
57' I think they are thinking ahead to their next league game.
Kudus and Wijndal replace Davy Klaasen and Daley Blind.
Elliott 3-0pic.twitter.com/NVRmpB6YMB
— Anfield Online (@anfieldonline) October 26, 2022
60' Curtis Jones replaces Darwin Nunez.
64' Boos from the crowd as they take off striker Brian Brobbey for midfielder Kenneth Taylor.
An entire midfield change.
71' Henderson, Fabinho, Elliott all head off. On comes Bajectic, Milner and Carvalho.
Four goals in his last four starts for Liverpool.
Decent return that.
Still adapting to the pace and physicality of the English game, and we could do with less of the animated theatrics. But he's showing promise and no doubt he was missed in the weekend Premier League game.
88' Robertson replaced by Tsimikas.
FT: Ajax 0-3 Liverpool
LIVERPOOL QUALIFY FOR THE LAST 16.
The reds have one more game to play against Napoli but both sides are already through to the next stage.
A big win in Amsterdam ???? pic.twitter.com/CfvkLWrcHI
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 26, 2022
Here's how it stands
A bad start, a great finish from the reds.
Three more Premier League games for the reds before the World Cup begins.
And a Champions League and League Cup game thrown in for good measure.
9 league points would be a positive end to the last few months.
