Youthful Liverpool lose in Europa League group tie

2 years ago 42

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By Michael EmonsBBC Sport

Last updated on 1 minute ago.From the section European Football

Already-qualified Liverpool ended their Europa League group campaign with an away defeat in Belgium against Union Saint-Gilloise.

Jurgen Klopp's youthful Reds side fell behind in the 32nd minute when Mohamed Amoura scored after taking the ball around goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

Twenty-year-old centre-half Jarell Quansah equalised with a powerful effort from inside the penalty area for his first Liverpool goal.

But the hosts regained the lead just before half-time thanks to Cameron Puertas' low strike, which proved to be the winner.

Puertas thought he had scored again with another well-struck shot but the goal was disallowed for handball following a video assistant referee check.

Despite the loss, Liverpool win Group E with 12 points from their six games, while Belgian league leaders Union Saint-Gilloise finished third to drop down into the Europa Conference League play-offs, in February.

Premier League leaders Liverpool will not play another European fixture until the last 16 in March and can focus on other competitions.

They now have three vital home games - Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, West Ham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday and then Arsenal in the league on 23 December.

More to follow.

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Union Saint-Gilloise

Squad number49Player nameMoris
Squad number5Player nameMac Allister
Squad number16Player nameBurgess
Squad number28Player nameMachida
Squad number21Player nameCastro-Montes
Squad number8Player nameAmani
Squad number27Player nameSadiki
Squad number10Player nameLapoussin
Squad number23Player namePuertas
Squad number29Player nameNilsson
Squad number47Player nameAmoura

Squad number4Player nameRasmussen
Squad number9Player nameEckert Ayensa
Squad number13Player nameRodríguez

Liverpool

Squad number62Player nameKelleher
Squad number84Player nameBradley
Squad number5Player nameKonaté
Squad number78Player nameQuansah
Squad number44Player nameChambers
Squad number19Player nameElliott
Squad number3Player nameEndo
Squad number17Player nameJones
Squad number49Player nameGordon
Squad number18Player nameGakpo
Squad number50Player nameDoak

Squad number2Player nameGomez
Squad number9Player nameNúñez
Squad number38Player nameGravenberch
Squad number48Player nameScanlon
Squad number53Player nameMcConnell

Line-ups

Union Saint-Gilloise

Formation 3-4-1-2

49Moris
5Mac Allister
16Burgess
28Machida
21Castro-Montes
8AmaniSubstituted forEckert Ayensaat 88'minutes
27SadikiBooked at 53mins
10Lapoussin
23Puertas
29NilssonSubstituted forRodríguezat 78'minutes
47AmouraSubstituted forRasmussenat 84'minutes

Substitutes

4Rasmussen
9Eckert Ayensa
11Teklab
13Rodríguez
14Imbrechts
17Terho
26Sykes
34Wenssens
35Huygevelde
48Leysen

Liverpool

Formation 4-3-3

62Kelleher
84BradleyBooked at 23mins
5KonatéSubstituted forGomezat 45'minutes
78Quansah
44ChambersSubstituted forScanlonat 63'minutesBooked at 90mins
19Elliott
3EndoSubstituted forGravenberchat 45'minutes
17Jones
49GordonSubstituted forMcConnellat 75'minutes
18Gakpo
50DoakSubstituted forNúñezat 63'minutes

Substitutes

2Gomez
7Díaz
8Szoboszlai
9Núñez
21Tsimikas
38Gravenberch
45Pitaluga
48Scanlon
53McConnell
67Koumas
83Hill
93Mrozek

Live Text

Match ends, Union Saint-Gilloise 2, Liverpool 1.
Second Half ends, Union Saint-Gilloise 2, Liverpool 1.
Attempt saved. Harvey Elliott (Liverpool) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the top left corner.
Attempt blocked. Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Darwin Núñez.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Anthony Moris.
Offside, Union Saint-Gilloise. Cameron Puertas is caught offside.
Calum Scanlon (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Calum Scanlon (Liverpool).
Kevin Rodríguez (Union Saint-Gilloise) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Conor Bradley (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Cameron Puertas (Union Saint-Gilloise).
Corner, Union Saint-Gilloise. Conceded by Calum Scanlon.
Attempt saved. Dennis Eckert Ayensa (Union Saint-Gilloise) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mathias Rasmussen.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Union Saint-Gilloise. Dennis Eckert Ayensa replaces Lazare Amani.
Delay in match because of an injury James McConnell (Liverpool).
Corner, Union Saint-Gilloise. Conceded by Jarell Quansah.
Substitution, Union Saint-Gilloise. Mathias Rasmussen replaces Mohammed Amoura because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Mohammed Amoura (Union Saint-Gilloise).