Ajax or Atalanta will accompany Liverpool from Klopp to the second round

Ajax or Atalanta will become this Wednesday the team that will accompany Liverpool, first in group D, to the eighth of the Champions League. While Jürgen Klopp’s ‘reds’, who have 12 points, close the league by visiting the eliminated Midtjylland (who has only added one) and with an eleven almost entirely without starters, with the youngsters, the decisive one is played at the Johan Cruyff Arena Ajax-Atalanta. The ‘ajacied’, with 7 points, need to win to qualify. A draw would give the pass to the Bergamo team (with 8 and a quarter-finalist in the last edition).

In Amsterdam they will face two teams that love good football and that were a revelation in the last two Champions League. Ajax reached the semi-finals in 2018-19 (which they lost to later runner-up Tottenham) and Atalanta made history in 2019-20 by reaching the quarterfinals in their first participation in the Euro Tournament.

Yesterday Ten Hag praised Atalanta’s “fantastic” style of play, explained that his team “lacks concentration, December is a difficult month”, but added that “our dream and our ambition are to continue in this Champions League”.

The Ajax coach said about his colleague Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta coach, that “I respect him a lot and have key players, especially in midfield.” A meeting in which Ten Hag believes that his Ajax lacked concentration “was in Bergamo.” They finished 2-2 despite the Dutch winning 0-2.

Gasperini precisely stated that “at the beginning of the group stage, he would have already signed to reach the last day in the position we are in.” Depending on themselves, to one point in the eighth.

The one that arrives at this last day with the duties done is Liverpool. Klopp took advantage of the eve of the game against Midtjylland to pay tribute to his younger players, whom he has turned to in the face of the plague of injuries, starting with that of Virgil van Dijk.

Klopp said: “Without the youngsters, with the injuries we’ve had, we would have lost. What Rhys (Williams) has done in this Champions League is exceptional. Neco (Williams) has played a lot of good games in a row. Curtis (Jones) plays like he’s been with the club for 10 years. Caoimhin (Kelleher) is a talent but now he also has the opportunity to demonstrate it at the highest level ”. All of them point to headlines this Wednesday in Denmark in an eleven ‘network’ practically without headlines

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