Pre-Ajax stats: Permutations, December form and Dutch opposition
Liverpool require a point from tonight's clash with AFC Ajax to guarantee a place in the Champions League knockout stages.
With four matchdays completed in Group D, the Reds lead the section by two points, with Ajax and Atalanta BC tied on seven and FC Midtjylland now eliminated.
Avoid defeat at Anfield this evening and Jürgen Klopp’s men will secure their spot in the last 16 for a fourth successive season, with a draw enough due to their head-to-head record against Ajax and Atalanta.
For more pre-match facts and figures, courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea, read on…
Liverpool’s next goal at Anfield in the Champions League will be their 50th under Klopp. Mohamed Salah has scored the most of those so far with 13.
The Reds have never lost to Dutch opposition at Anfield, winning five and drawing two in seven encounters. They played out a 2-2 with Ajax in 1966.
Overall, the club is unbeaten in the last 14 matches against Dutch opponents, since the 5-1 defeat by tonight’s visitors in Amsterdam in 1966.
Klopp has won all three of his previous meetings with Ajax – the first two while in charge of Borussia Dortmund.
Watch Jürgen Klopp's pre-Ajax press conference
Liverpool have lost just one of their last 30 games played during the month of December, with the single defeat at Aston Villa in last season’s Carabao Cup quarter-final.
A victory this evening would be the Reds’ fourth in the group and equal their best ever tally.
Diogo Jota scored two hat-tricks in Europe for Wolverhampton Wanderers last season and has one for Liverpool during this group phase.
The last Reds player to score two European hat-tricks in the same season was Dean Saunders in the UEFA Cup in 1991-92. The last to achieve the feat in the European Cup was Graeme Souness in 1980-81.
Ajax are unbeaten in their last 17 away games in all stages of this competition, winning eight, and have scored at least twice in eight of their last nine away Champions League ties.
They are the only team ever to score more than four goals against Liverpool in a European fixture. In 1966 they were 4-0 up at half-time and 5-0 up in the 90th minute before winning 5-1.