By Victor Kanayo
Cameroon defender Joel Matip’s late header against Ajax at Anfield gave Liverpool their first Champions League win this season.
Boss Jurgen Klopp demanded a reaction to the “horror show” of the 4-1 defeat at Napoli in their group opener and this was certainly a vast improvement.
Liverpool created plenty of openings and deservedly went ahead when Mohamed Salah swept home Diogo Jota’s pass.
Mohammed Kudus’ searing shot went in off the underside of the bar to level, but Matip’s 89th minute header won it.
Daley Blind missed a great chance to put Ajax ahead late on before Matip – who last scored in the Champions League nine years ago – rose to head the winner, which was confirmed by goal-line technology.
They will next face Rangers in Matchday 3.
Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 2-0 at the Allianz Arena, to make it two wins from two in the Champions League this season.
The game had been billed as the Robert Lewandowski show which, given that it was his first time back at the Allianz Arena since leaving Bayern for Barca in July, was to be expected.
While there were a few boos for Lewandowski before kick off, he was largely met with applause from the home faithful despite the acrimonious wrangle over his departure. If he thought that he would end the night in triumph, however, he was sorely mistaken.
The former Bayern forward, who scored 344 goals in 375 appearances for the Bundesliga giants, was uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal, with his miss one-on-one on the volley especially disappointing by his high standards. Having scored nine goals in his previous five games in all competitions, he may have let the occasion get the better of him.
In the early kickoff of the day, Tottenham, an English Premier League side, lost to Sporting Lisbon after conceding two injury-time goal.
Sporting are top of Group D on six points after two victories, with Spurs second on three points.
In the other group match, Eintracht Frankfurt won 1-0 against Marseille in France, thanks to a goal from Jesper Lindstrom in a game marred by crowd trouble at the Orange Velodrome.
