Matip's late goal gave the Reds their first win of the season in the European competition.
This was a huge improvement over the 4-1 defeat away to Napoli in their opening Group A game.
The Reds were in front after 17 minutes when they got on the board with a goal by Mohamed Salah.
10 minutes later, Mohammed Kudus thumped in an emphatic finish off the underside of the bar after he was played in by Steven Berghuis and Steven Bergwijn, as Ajax were level at the end of the first half.
Matip headed home from a corner in the final moments to give the Reds a point.
While they were nowhere near their best, this was all about getting the result and showing off their skills on the road in the competition.
It looked for a long time that the composed, unhurried style and lack of cutting edge of both teams would mean another disappointing result.
It meant a vital three points for last season's beaten finalist and the start of the recovery from the opening in Italy.
There was a short period of silence before the game in honor of Queen Elizabeth II and while there were a few dissenters, they were silenced by the majority of those inside the stadium.
Matip's strength at the back and Thiago's ability to bring the ball out of defence were the keys to the improvement of the team.
An outstanding display was capped by the former defenceman's late contribution.
While he has been injured, Thiago's ability to dictate the pace and find colleagues has been sorely missed and his performance was a sign of how important he will be.
The latest gem to come out of the world of football is Kudus, a forward from the country ofGhana.
At the end of the transfer window, Antony was strongly linked with a move toEverton, but the deal was blocked because he was about to join Manchester United.
It is thought that Kudus will make a key contribution to their season and that his value will increase as a result.
It has been proven. In the opening game of the group stage, he was outstanding in the win over Rangers, and in the next game, he scored a wonderful goal against the Reds.
Even though they were minutes away from a valuable point, they showed enough to believe they can still progress.
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