Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder has dismissed suggestions Liverpool have become more vulnerable to Champions League defeat following their underwhelming start to the Premier League season.
The Reds' rollercoaster campaign continued at the weekend when their mini-revival was brought to a shuddering halt by 1-0 loss at rock-bottom Nottingham Forest.
Jurgen Klopp's side have overcome a shocking start to the Champions League group stage by following the 4-1 thumping at Napoli with three successive wins to move within a point of qualification to the last 16.
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And Schreuder, whose Ajax team lost 2-1 at Anfield last month, has dismissed the notion the Reds have become susceptible to setbacks.
"No, I don't think so," he said. "They are still a top team, we saw that after their reaction (following defeat to Napoli) to win in the Champions League and if you see the last few games against Rangers and then Manchester City, they showed top form and quality. Yes, they lost versus Nottingham Forest, but they could also have won by four or five.
"Obviously we watched their game with Nottingham Forest but they won against City the week before, who are not the least of clubs. This game against Nottingham, they could have won 6-1 but just didn't have luck on their side."
Schreuder has called on his players to show greater aggression against Liverpool with more than 55,000 fans expected at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Wednesday night.
"In the end it's all about the points, it's the Champions League, it's sold out so this is what we want, we know to show a threat with aggression," he said. "We need to keep our backs straight and run into the spaces. That is our aggressiveness.
"Are players granted space to be crazy? Of course but structure is much more important and then in the end they can play intuitively. If they play like that they can cause problems but I don't like this with my defence. I prefer that against the opponents. We need to be creative on their side of the pitch."
Even if Liverpool lose 2-1 it would leave Ajax needing to overturn a huge goal difference deficit on the final matchday to qualify, provided the Reds lose at home to Napoli.
"If we win tomorrow we want to do it with two goals difference, that is what we want," said Schreuder on Tuesday. "We know Liverpool is a wonderful club with a wonderful team. We need to do a lot of things better. If I look back at the past few weeks we're making great steps. Against Napoli we created a lot of chances but we need to do some things better defensively.
"Obviously we want to make quick plays and that is what we all want to see as well but we play for the win. If there are Liverpool players who are free we need to follow them as closely as possible. We need some players to hunt the ball. We need to organise how many people we have behind the ball.
"In the past we've got to the semis and had some good group stages as well, but at this moment you can see Napoli were too strong for us, so yes, it's the reality (we're underdogs)."
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