Harvey Elliott has praised Stefan Bajetic on Liverpool’s official website for his impressive Champions League cameo as the Reds clinched Round of 16 qualification with a 3-0 win over Ajax.
Having cruised to a three-goal lead, Jurgen Klopp sought to make use of his five substitutes amid fears of further injuries plaguing his squad, with the likes of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Arthur Melo having already been ruled out for an extended period of time.
As a result, youngsters Curtis Jones and Fabio Carvalho were given the opportunity to grace the pitch, with Stefan Bajcetic also making his second-ever Champions League appearance.
As per SofaScore, in 19 minutes of play, the defensive midfielder had 12 assured touches of the ball, completing 88% of his passes with accuracy. He also had a shot on target which the goalkeeper saved, with a goal so close to capping off a dream cameo for the 18-year-old gem.
Elliott praises Bajcetic’s performance vs Ajax
Elliott was full of praise for the youth player, having been extremely impressed with his confident display. Speaking with LFCTV after the game, the young midfielder claimed:
“The boys that came on did really well. Stefan, it’s easy to get over excited about the situation but he came on and stamped his foot on the ground and showed he was one of us in the senior team.”
Having made just three senior appearances in a Reds shirt, Bajcetic is still a way off the level Elliott has reached in recent seasons.
At just 19-years-old, the attacking midfielder has already amassed 37 first-team appearances; 17 of which have come this season. As a result, the England U21 international has emerged as a mainstay in Klopp’s starting XI.
Having impressed for the U21s, Bajcetic is clearly on the trajectory needed to earn regular minutes with the first-team, so learning from the likes of Elliott will only improve his chances going forward.
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