While the players of Manchester United spent this week in recuperation mode and conducting yet another inquest following a toothless but nonetheless taxing performance in Europe, the majority of Liverpool’s big-hitters were resting their feet up right here on Merseyside.
Due to the fact that his team had already qualified for the round of 16, Jurgen Klopp was able to take advantage of the fact that this Europa League trip to Brussels was a pointless match. As a result, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, and Alisson Becker were able to remain on Merseyside.
A great number of other significant figures, like Dominik Szoboszlai, Darwin Nunez, and Luis Diaz, sat on the replacements’ bench for the majority of the night while donning a puffer jacket, a cap, and a snood. To add to the plethora of reasons why Liverpool are so confident that they will defeat United on Sunday, there is simply another factor to add to the list.
In spite of the fact that Liverpool finally came out on the losing end of the competition between the English and Belgian league leaders, the academy had a night to be proud of. Numerous children from the Kirkby production line were given a day that they will never forget thanks to Klopp’s selection of an eleven-man squad with an average age of 22.
There was the story that made you feel happy and fuzzy inside about Kaide Gordon’s first start in almost two years. In January 2022, he became the youngest player in the history of the FA Cup to score a goal for Liverpool. The following week, he made his debut in the Premier League. However, since then, he has been plagued with injuries that are related to growing pains.
Daniel Doak demonstrated his electric feet, while three other players demonstrated that there is nothing wrong with going out on loan. Jarell Quansah (Bristol Rovers), Conor Bradley (Bolton), and Luke Chambers (Kilmarnock) are all making their debuts in the first squad after having good experiences away from the club.
There were also minutes off the bench for fellow young prodigies James McConnell and Calum Scanlon. Additionally, it was a proud evening for Curtis Jones, a more established academy product at Liverpool, as the Scouse midfielder captained his boyhood side. He came off the bench for a few minutes.
Nevertheless, Liverpool appeared to be extremely fragmented, struggled to find any intensity or inventiveness in their assaults, and allowed Union Saint-Gilloise an excessive amount of space when they made surges forward. This is something that frequently occurs when teams make a large number of substitutions.
In the first half, Liverpool enjoyed 71% control of the ball, but they did not have a shot on target until the 40th minute. Their second shot on target did not occur until the 79th minute, when it was taken by Ryan Gravenberch, who was a substitute. At all times, the Belgian team took advantage of openings that existed behind the Reds’ defensive line.
Thirty-one minutes into the match, they took the lead thanks to Mohammed Amoura, who was given a clear path to the goal by Gustaf Nilsson. Caoimhin Kelleher had earlier prevented both of those from being scored from close range, but the Irish goalkeeper was unable to do anything about it as Amoura maintained his composure and worked his way around the keeper.
According to the official formation diagram that UEFA had created, the defender Quansah was assigned the position of No. 10, and he was placed directly behind the defensive midfielder Wataru Endo on the front line. On the other hand, when Quansah scored with a magnificent strike from the edge of the penalty box, it is possible that they were onto something.
Jones made a fantastic corner kick, Union was unable to clear the ball, and Quansah capped the game off with a powerful finish. It was a good occasion for the Warrington-born defender who has been with the club since he was five years old. This was after he had an equalizer scored in the 97th minute at Toulouse against Toulouse that was ruled off for an earlier handball.
Following the scoring of that goal, however, Quansah returned to his regular duties as a defender a few minutes later. As Cameron Puertas took advantage of space, both behind Liverpool’s defense and inside Kelleher’s near post with a powerful strike, Ibrahima Konate lost possession of the ball and then was caught out of position.
“It was a win that Union deserved,” remarked Klopp after the match. “They have a top side, and they are well set up.” The adjustments that we made caused our rhythm to disappear. At the end of the day, I am really delighted that we played it like a true game. A tremendously positive experience for some people, but for others, it’s beneficial for rhythm. Everyone is safe and sound.
As the Belgians continued to press for a third goal, the crowd inside Lotto Park, which is the home of Anderlecht and where Union are required to play European games, became enraged in the 62nd minute. Puertas’s second goal of the game was disallowed due to a handball that occurred during the buildup to the goal.
On the other hand, they were soon singing “Bella Ciao” as their players and fans came together to celebrate a historic victory that they had earned by a significant margin. Regrettably, Union was compelled to bid farewell to the Europa League, which is pronounced “au revoir” in their language. However, this well-managed club will most certainly return in the future.