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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Ian Doyle

Thiago Alcantara stops angry flashpoint as Mohamed Salah gets 'booted' during Liverpool win

Liverpool began the process of recovering from last week's Italian shocker by earning Champions League victory against Ajax on Tuesday.

Joel Matip struck in the 89th minute and Mohamed Salah also found the target as the Reds earned a deserved 2-1 triumph. The result means Jurgen Klopp’s side avoided losing their opening two group games in European competition for the first time in their history.

But there was plenty that went unnoticed or under the radar during the 90 minutes at Anfield.

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Thiago the omnipresent

Thiago Alcantara was pretty much everywhere for Liverpool on his return to the starting line-up. And not just when the action was happening on the field.

After Alisson Becker's long pass set in motion the move for Salah's opener, the Spanish midfielder made a beeline for the goalkeeper during the celebrations and jumped into his arms for an enormous embrace.

And after Kostas Tsimikas was bumped into the advertising boards in the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand by an Ajax player, it was Thiago who raced towards the Greek to cool the defender's temper and stop him reacting. What a guy.

Kostas gets push start

Tsimikas was one of several Liverpool players to impress on Tuesday. But that didn't stop him being on the receiving end of a pumped-up Virgil van Dijk.

Late in the game, the left-back was given a huge shove by the Dutchman after presumably dozing a little as the Reds chased a late winner.

Earlier on, though, it was the referee's assistant who was given both barrels by Van Dijk for not flagging for offside before Joel Matip was compelled to step in and win the ball back. Steady on, Virg.

Matip given reminder

In such an intense encounter, emotions were always going to be running high. And shortly after half-time, having miscontrolled the ball out of play, Trent Alexander-Arnold was left fuming at Matip for the original pass.

Mind you, home supporters sat by the boisterous Ajax contingent had enough reason to be irked as they were driven to distraction by the relentless drummer in the away end.

It wasn't without merit, however, as Liverpool fans later hijacked one familiar beat to sound the Diogo Jota song for the first time at Anfield this season.

Salah receives boot

With a goal and forcing the corner for the winner, Salah was back to something nearer his best after some indifferent showings of late - even if he was targeted by the Ajax defence for close attention.

Some of it, though, was accidental. Around five minutes from time, a visiting player needed a change of footwear, prompting a team-mate to collect them off a member of the coaching staff and hurl them towards his colleague.

In doing so, the boots caught Salah a glancing blow on the side of the head. Ouch.

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