Crouch left dumbfounded after Nunez's incredible first-half miss against Ajax

Darwin Nunez spurned a golden chance to put Liverpool 2-0 up inside the first half after somehow managing to hit the post with the goal at his mercy.

Mo Salah put the visitors ahead at Ajax in the 42nd minute, but just two minutes later the Uruguayan was given an opportunity to double the ascendancy just before half-time, but he was unable to convert Roberto Firmino's pass.

However he did quickly atone for his error after just four minutes in the second period, with a strong header from the centre of the box off an Andy Robertson corner.

'I don't think Firmino can (understand how he has missed) either,' remarked Peter Crouch for BT at half-time. 'Firmino's pass is beautiful, but how Nunez has done that I have no idea.'

Firmino's response was one of complete amazement, with Crouch adding: 'I think he's (Firmino) looking for the flag because he can't understand how he's not scored.'

His co-pundit Rio Ferdinand added: 'Nunez had a bit of an indifferent night. I think at times you were scratching your head with some of the stuff he done but then he does that (scores his goal) which is what you're buying him for.'

And Crouch went on to praise his overall performance against Ajax, saying: 'Yeah, great strength, to like erase the demons straight away because it was a terrible miss, let's be quite honest, but great strength from him to get the header on it when these two men pulling and pushing them. It was a great finish.'

But Nunez responded perfectly, and was quick to put the shocking miss out of his mind in the second half with a statement finish.

He got his head on the end of Robertson's brilliantly whipped in corner to start an assured three-minute spell which saw Liverpool net twice and put the result beyond doubt before de Godenzonen could mount a comeback.

But fans were quick to highlight the glaring miss, with many harkening back to the Commnity Shield in which football fans predicted he would outscore Erling Haaland this season.

One said: 'And they said he’s better than Haaland,' followed by two laughing emojis.

Another added: 'Klopp definitely got this signing wrong. That's poor on every level.'

A third supporter asked: 'Nah there’s no way Nunez is this bad how do you miss from there?'

And a fourth wrote: 'Darwin Nunez really makes the basics of football look really difficult. How did he miss that?'

However some fans were equally as quick to praise the striker for his goal just after the interval, showing a professionalism and composure perhaps belying his 23 years.

For one supporter, the goal after half-time seemed to be enough to prove his worth, stating: 'Delighted for Nunez, might shut up opposition fans about his miss, Nunez is going to be a top top player for Liverpool.'

But for another it presented more questions than it answered: 'Núñez is baffling. Will miss chances that get buried in Sunday league and then buries headers like that.'