Ajax disappointed by "unlucky" own-goal loss against Liverpool

Ajax started its Champions League season on Wednesday with an unfortunate defeat against Liverpool in the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam team lost 0-1 due to an own goal scored by Nicolás Tagliafico.

"It was unlucky," Perr Schuurs said to NU.nl about the 35th minute of the match. The Ajax defender let Sadio Mane slip past him, after which Tagliafico worked the Liverpool player's cross into his own goal. "It started with me and it ended in a goal that made us lose. That's not good."

Coach Erik ten Hag thinks that Ajax should have scored at least one point in the match. "We did an excellent job," he said to Ziggo Sport. "We played a very good game against a very good team. We deserved more. The plan and execution were excellent, only a goal was missing."

"We brought Liverpool to the edge of the abyss," the Ajax coach continued. "We have only ourselves to blame for this defeat. We created the opportunities, but you have to actually use them and pull the trigger. We sold ourselves short"

Ten Hag added that Tagliafico was not to blame. "In general it was not easy. You have to enforce that last percent. We just didn't."

Robin van Persie also thinks that Liverpool was lucky to grab the win. "They missed their most important players in the back and the middle field," Van Persie said on BT sports. "That is why Ajax also go the greatest opportunities. I counted at least four and normally Ajax would use one of them. Liverpool was lucky."