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Liverpool 2-0 Union Saint-Gilloise: Liverpool Secure Second Europa League Win with Victory over Union Saint-Gilloise
Liverpool extended their perfect start in the Europa League group stage with a hard-fought 2-0 win against Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise at Anfield. Despite not producing their best performance, Ryan Gravenberch stood out during his 79 minutes on the pitch, scoring his first goal for the club since his £34.5 million transfer from Bayern Munich and making a significant impact on the match. Diogo Jota added a second goal late in the game to seal the victory.
The game started with Union goalkeeper Anthony Moris being kept busy as Liverpool created several chances. Moris made an early save from Mohamed Salah after a deflection led to the first clear opportunity. Liverpool thought they had taken the lead when Gravenberch’s shot was saved by Moris and Darwin Nunez scored the rebound, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Nunez then missed a golden opportunity to score after a low cross from Salah.
Ryan Gravenberch gets his first goal in Liverpool colours!! 🤩
What a moment for the 21-year-old! 🙌#UEL pic.twitter.com/ARqP1adk8J
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 5, 2023
While Union struggled to pose a threat, their confidence grew as Liverpool failed to capitalize on their dominance. Gustaf Nilsson had a good chance to score but headed the ball over the bar. Moris made another save, denying Nunez, but Liverpool lacked a cutting edge until the dying moments of the first half. Moris failed to hold Trent Alexander-Arnold’s shot, and Gravenberch reacted quickest to convert the rebound and give Liverpool the lead just before halftime.
At halftime, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made changes to inject more energy into the team. One notable substitution was the introduction of Alexis Mac Allister, who faced his older brother Kevin, a defender for Union. Mac Allister’s impact was felt early in the second half when he set up Jota for a header, but Moris made an impressive save to deny him. Moris continued to frustrate Liverpool, making another save from Gravenberch. While the lead remained at just one goal, Liverpool were vulnerable, and Union started to show more attacking intent, forcing a couple of corners and appealing for a penalty.
Diogo Jota surely seals it for Liverpool! 🤩#UEL pic.twitter.com/6nZtbPhqSo
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 5, 2023
In the closing stages of the match, substitute Luis Diaz hit the post, although the flag was raised for offside. Union continued to push for a goal but were ultimately undone when Noah Sadiki’s tackle on Diaz led to the ball falling to Jota, who calmly and composedly finished with his left foot to secure the victory.
Despite the nervy ending, Liverpool maintained their 100% record in the Europa League group stage, positioning themselves well for qualification to the knockout rounds. The team will aim to build on this success as they turn their attention to their upcoming fixtures in the Premier League and continue their pursuit of silverware on multiple fronts.
Player Ratings
– Alisson Becker: 6/10
– Trent Alexander-Arnold: 7/10
– Ibrahima Konaté: 7/10
– Jarell Quansah: 7/10
– Kostas Tsimikas: 6/10
– Wataru Endō: 7/10
– Ryan Gravenberch: 8/10
– Harvey Elliott: 6/10
– Mohamed Salah: 7/10
– Darwin Núñez: 6/10
– Diogo Jota: 6/10
Substitutes
– Alexis Mac Allister: 6/10
– Curtis Jones: 6/10
– Luis Díaz: 6/10
– Joe Gomez: 6/10
– Dominik Szoboszlai: N/A
Liverpool’s victory maintains their perfect record in the Europa League group stage, further solidifying their position as one of the favorites in the competition. The team’s attention now shifts to their upcoming Premier League clash against Brighton, where they will aim to continue their winning momentum.
