Tag: Europa League

Five talking points as Jurgen Klopp bids adieu to Europe and Liverpool fails to mount a comeback

ATALANTA 0-1 LIVERPOOL (3-1 agg.): Mo Salah’s early strike gave Liverpool a narrow victory in Bergamo, but it was insufficient to allow them to mount a valiant recovery.

Liverpool’s dreams of winning a triple have been dashed after losing to Atalanta in the Europa League.

After falling to the Italian team 3-0 at Anfield last week, the Reds faced a formidable challenge. For a few moment, it appeared as though they could pull off the unbelievable, as Mo Salah’s penalty in the seventh minute handed Liverpool the ideal start in Bergamo.

The Reds, however, did not pose quite enough of a threat as Atalanta held their Premier League opponents at a distance. Liverpool now returns their focus to playing at home and winning the league.

Atalanta advances to the semi-finals and will face either Benfica or Marseille there. Here are all the talking points from Liverpool’s challenging evening in Bergamo:

Liverpool has a fantastic start.

Atalanta could only become anxious if they were to find the net first. Salah of Liverpool accomplished just that. Matteo Ruggeri’s arm stopped Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross, giving the Reds a spot-kick.

Salah took ownership of the game and scored expertly to cut his team’s deficit to two goals. The attacking intent of Klopp’s team was evident from the beginning as they piled on their Italian opponents. Salah’s attempt went miles wide of the goal just before the half, even though he should have scored another.

Atlanta flees in red

Shortly after Salah’s goal, Liverpool appeared to be about to double their lead when Luis Diaz was allowed in behind. The Colombian appeared to be going through one-on-one.

As the ball bounced up, Isak Hien reached out an arm to stop it in its course. Naturally, the majority of the Liverpool team called for a red card, but the referee wasn’t persuaded and only sent out a yellow.

Hien lingered on the pitch. The Reds may also view that incident as a turning point because they could have tied the game with two more goals if he hadn’t been on the pitch.

Fluency is a challenge for Liverpool.

Even though Atalanta appeared to be improving early on, they were able to stop Liverpool’s onslaught quickly. The Reds appeared like a completely different team after the break and produced nothing close to enough to mount a comeback.

Nothing that could be called a “golden chance,” but there were a few intriguing exchanges and a clutch of balls in the behind. It’s an issue that Liverpool is beginning to pay for.

The last three games have seen just one goal scored by Klopp’s team. If they want to stay in the running for the Premier League, they need to find their creative spark again, and quickly.

Klopp’s tenure at Liverpool in Europe is over

It’s official: as manager of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp has overseen his final European match. But for the Reds, wow, what a roller coaster. Three finals for the Champions League, one winning.

A Europa League final was also held there. Not to mention the historic victories at Anfield against Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.

Even though Klopp was unable to pull off yet another incredible comeback, he will be pleased with his work in placing the Reds back among Europe’s best.

Gasperini provides a hint

Regarding the Liverpool bench, there are several candidates vying to succeed Klopp. Gian Piero Gasperini, the manager of Atalanta, is one of those names, and he has done no harm at all to his chances.

Atalanta was well-organized, disciplined, and accomplished enough to barely pass. They are still a very excellent football team and should have found a way past the Reds, even though they are not as daring as they were in the past. This is how Liverpool would appear in the upcoming season, assuming Gasperini is appointed.

April 19, 2024
Preview: Atalanta BC vs. Liverpool: teams, news, and prediction

Liverpool faces a steep hill to climb as they go to the Gewiss Stadium on Thursday night for the second leg of their quarterfinal matchup with Atalanta BC, staring down the barrel of Europa League elimination.

La Dea’s stunning 3-0 victory in last week’s first meeting stunned Anfield, but the Reds are accustomed to erasing apparently insurmountable deficits on the continent.

Match Preview

After eliminating a side managed by a possible future manager of Liverpool, Sporting Lisbon under Ruben Amorim, Atalanta made their way back to England for a three-year reunion with the Reds, whom they famously defeated at Anfield during the 2020–21 Champions League group stage.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s team miraculously improved their 2-0 victory behind closed doors, thanks in large part to Jurgen Klopp’s team’s concerning wastefulness. Gianluca Scamacca’s brace and Mario Pasalic’s finish drove the visiting Atalanta supporters into a frenzy.

No other team has won both of their first two continental away matches against the six-time European champions, as La Dea’s defeat of Liverpool last week was caused by two players who struggled in the Premier League: Scamacca and Pasalic.

Gasperini’s team may be far from home and out of the competition given Liverpool’s history of amazing comebacks, but in 132 previous tournament eliminations, no Europa League or UEFA Cup team has ever lost after winning the first leg of a knockout encounter by at least three goals away from home.

Though they let a 2-0 lead slip in a 2-2 home tie, Atalanta was unable to carry over its momentum from last Thursday’s match to this weekend’s Serie A match against Hellas Verona. The hosts’ surprising victory against Liverpool is only their third victory in their previous 11 games across all competitions.

It is not appropriate for Gasperini’s team to look to their Calcio rivals AC Milan or Barcelona for advice on how to avoid surrendering many goals to Liverpool. Instead, if the Reds’ previous wastefulness is any indication, Atalanta should only pray that their guests become their own worst enemies once more.

Following their inability to capitalise on numerous opportunities on April 11, Liverpool’s springtime woes continued on Sunday as they suffered an equally painful Premier League home defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace. Eberechi Eze sentenced the Reds to their first home loss in the top level in almost eighteen months.

After losing three games in a row for the first time since March/April 2023, Liverpool can no longer control the top flight title as Manchester City leads the pack. As a result, some Reds supporters have joined their Arsenal counterparts in stating that the title race is inevitable.

Liverpool has now gone nine games without a clean sheet in all competitions, in addition to their inability to convert on huge opportunities. However, a run of four straight away games should be warmly greeted by a Reds club that has scored in all of its road games this 2023–24 season.

A mind-boggling comeback is definitely not out of the question because it has been just over a year since Klopp’s team was shut out on the road against Chelsea in April of last year. Their only other trip to Atalanta in the 2020–21 Champions League ended in a decisive 5-0 victory.

Team News

In addition to Giorgio Scalvini, who is sidelined for Thursday’s second leg due to a hamstring injury, Atalanta’s defensive ranks were further depleted prior to the Anfield demolition when former Arsenal player Sead Kolasinac suffered an adductor injury.

The veteran Dutchman is back at Gasperini’s disposal. Marten de Roon was suspended due to a yellow card, therefore the Bosnia-Herzegovina international was benched for the weekend’s match against Verona.

Because of this, only Scalvini should be missing from the Atalanta lineup this week. De Roon’s prompt return means that, like at Anfield, the 33-year-old will probably be forced into a three-man defensive wall with Berat Djimsiti and Isak Hien. Returning from a Serie A ban, Davide Zappacosta ought to start on the right.

Liverpool will probably have to do without youthful right-back Conor Bradley, who overstretched his foot in the defeat to Palace and needed medical assistance to leave the pitch, even though the hosts’ rearguard will be bolstered this week.

The severity of Bradley’s problem is yet unknown, but Trent Alexander-Arnold should be ready for his first start following his knee injury recovery, while Stefan Bajcetic might be available after playing for the Under-21s last week.

In recent weeks, Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota have also recovered from injuries; the latter is a contender to replace Darwin Nunez or Luis Diaz, whose big chance conversion rate of 19.4% is the lowest in Europe’s top five leagues. Ben Doak (knee), Joel Matip (knee), and Thiago Alcantara (muscle) are still sidelined.

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Musso; De Roon, Pasalic, Ederson, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners; Scamacca, De Ketelaere, Djimsiti, Hien; Zappacosta,

Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Elliott; Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Salah, Jota, Diaz

We predict: Liverpool 2-3 Atalanta BC (Atalanta winning 5-3 overall).

The moment has come for Liverpool to find their creative edge again, something the cool Jota should undoubtedly contribute to, as they will need to step it up if they want to make it to the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Atalanta’s home defence has frequently fallen short of expectations.

Though Liverpool might manage a consoling win that evening, Gasperini’s team has always been praised for their brilliant attacking play. Atalanta, on the other hand, can take advantage of openings to make sure Klopp leaves Anfield without ever raising the Europa League title.

April 16, 2024

Injury report for Liverpool: All players out of Europa League second-leg match vs Sparta Prague

On Thursday, Liverpool takes on Sparta Prague in the Europa League round of sixteen.

The Reds should make major adjustments given their 5-1 lead after the first match.

There is still a long list of injuries Jurgen Klopp needs to deal with.

Liverpool is back in action on Thursday in the Europa League after an exciting draw with Manchester City in the Premier League last weekend.

The Reds defeated Sparta Prague 5-1 at the epet Arena last week after putting in a lot of effort in their round of 16 first-leg match. Since Manchester United is playing in the FA Cup quarterfinal this weekend, Jurgen Klopp is probably going to start more of his bench men and inexperienced players against the Czech champions this time around.

Even so, Klopp still has a wide range of players at his disposal, so much as he would like to rotate at Anfield on Thursday. Numerous first-team players are currently sidelined by serious injuries, impacting every aspect of the Reds’ roster.

These are every Liverpool player that was left out of the Europa League match against Sparta Prague on Thursday.

Goalkeepers & defenders

This Thursday, Liverpool is still missing a number of key defenders, and Alisson is also sidelined due to a hamstring injury. The Brazilian has been sidelined for more than a month, and the Reds are lucky to have Caoimhin Kelleher as a capable backup.

Ibrahima Konate pulled during last week’s 5-1 triumph over Sparta, becoming the most recent player to add his name to a lengthy list of injuries. The Frenchman will be out again this coming week, but Klopp has stated that he has a “good chance” of playing against Manchester United in the FA Cup. The Frenchman missed the match against Man City on Sunday.

Even though Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez have excelled at right-back this season, it’s important to keep in mind that Trent Alexander-Arnold is now out for the Reds. The 25-year-old might become available following the international break in March.

Joel Matip’s damaged ACL from last December will probably keep him out of action for the remainder of the season. It is possible that he played his last game wearing a Liverpool shirt because his contract expires this summer.

Midfielders

Dominik Szoboszlai’s comeback has strengthened Liverpool’s midfield options recently, but the Reds still lack four players in the middle of the park. Ryan Gravenberch is one of those, missing the Carabao Cup final due to an ankle injury.

Curtis Jones hasn’t played before the approaching international break; he hasn’t since the team’s 4-1 victory over Brentford in mid-February. But as they compete for additional trophies, Liverpool will be hoping to have the 23-year-old back soon.

Like Matip, Thiago, a midfielder, might have played his last game for Liverpool because his contract is up this summer. The Spanish player, who has barely played ten minutes this season after being injured against Arsenal in early February, would be leaving on a sad note.

Though he is nearing the end of his career, Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago’s compatriot, has also been unlucky with injuries this season. Although the gifted young player has only made two appearances this season, there’s a strong chance he’ll make more before the end of the campaign.

Forwards

Although Klopp’s choices for forwards had been limited, the return of Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah in recent weeks has been greatly appreciated. However, he still lacks the important Diogo Jota up top. The Portuguese are unlikely to make a comeback anytime soon and won’t be active until at least mid-April.

Jayden Danns has missed the last two games due to a concussion, while young Ben Doak is currently recuperating from surgery he had earlier this year. On Thursday, though, the 18-year-old striker might play against Sparta.

Every Liverpool player absent for the match against Sparta Prague

Player	Status
Alisson	Out
Trent Alexander-Arnold	Out
Ibrahima Konate	Out
Joel Matip	Out
Ryan Gravenberch	Out
Curtis Jones	Out
Thiago	Out
Stefan Bajcetic	Out
Diogo Jota	Out
Ben Doak	Out
Jayden Danns	Doubt

March 13, 2024

Liverpool isn’t participating in the Europa League; why?
While Jürgen Klopp’s team dominated the UEFA competition in the group stage, some supporters may be wondering why they don’t have a match this week.

Today, Thursday, February 15, marks the resumption of the Europa League for the 2023–24 season’s knockout stages. Even though it’s UEFA’s second-tier club competition, a lot of well-known teams participate, including eight teams that are eliminated from the Champions League after losing in their group.

There are a few noteworthy absences from this week’s sixteen teams competing in two-leg ties to advance to the Europa League Round of 16.

Liverpool, for instance, won all of their group stage matches but don’t play in the Europa League this week. Why? Due to the fact that the games scheduled for February 15 and 22 are playoffs between the teams that placed second and third in their respective Europa League and Champions League groups.

😄 pic.twitter.com/IoZu1uBOE5

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 13, 2024

Liverpool, one of the top eight clubs in the Europa League group stage, will not play until the Round of 16 in March after receiving a bye.

Which teams in the Europa League are guaranteed a bye?

Eight teams from this year’s league will not be participating in this week’s Europa League matchup. These teams are Villarreal, West Ham United, Atalanta, Liverpool, Rangers, Bayer Leverkusen, Slavia Praha, and Brighton & Hove Albion. These eight teams, who include some of the best teams in the competition, won their respective Europa League groups prior to the winter break.

Apart from Liverpool, who are still vying for four trophies, Bayer Leverkusen leads the Bundesliga and defeated Bayern Munich, the reigning champions of Germany, last weekend. Head coach Xabi Alonso of Leverkusen, who hasn’t dropped a game this season, has been mentioned for some of the top managerial positions in the league.

holders of leagues in the Europa Conference West Ham will be aiming to advance farther in the competition this year as well. Despite losing to Arsenal in the Premier League last weekend, David Moyes’ team has proven to be formidable in Europe.

This week’s Europa League players are who?
In the absence of those eight teams, the playoff round will feature eight teams that placed second in the Europa League and eight teams that were eliminated from the Champions League. That recently relegated group of previous UCL players includes AC Milan, Sporting Lisbon, and Feyenoord.

The whole schedule of Europa League playoff games is available here.

Europa League fixtures
- Galatasary – Sparta Praha
- Shakhtar Donetsk – Marseille
- Feyenoord – Roma
- Young Boys – Sporting Lisbon
- AC Milan – Rennes
- Braga Qarabag FK
- Benfica – Toulouse
- Lens – SC Freiburg
There will be two legs in which the ties will be decided: the first on Thursday, February 15, and the second on Thursday, February 22. In the event that the total scores are tied, extra time and penalties will be applied. There will be no usage of the away goals rule.

When is the next Europa League match for Liverpool?
Next up for the Reds is a Round of 16 matchup. These two-leg matches will have their first leg on Thursday, March 7, and their second leg on Thursday, March 14.

As of right moment, Liverpool’s opponents are unknown. The Europa League draw, which determines the ties for the Round of 16, will take place on Friday, February 23, following the conclusion of the playoff round.

Liverpool will not be able to play any of the other teams that received a bye to the Round of 16, since the eight group stage winners will be seeded for the draw. That guarantees they won’t have to play difficult matches against teams like Leverkusen or Atalanta.

Additionally, teams in the Round of 16 cannot be paired with another team from the same national association. For instance, if Atalanta advances, they would not be able to play AC Milan, their Serie A rivals.
February 16, 2024
Liverpool isn’t included in the Europa League draw; why? Playoff regulations: UK sides are excluded

Four British teams—Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, and Rangers—have all advanced to the Europa League knockout stages; however, they will not be participating in the draw on Monday.

Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, and Rangers have already advanced to the tournament’s final 16, thus they will not be represented in Monday’s Europa League play-off draw.

The House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland is the venue for the Europa League’s first knockout round draw. On Monday, there will also be the draws for the Europa Conference League play-offs and the Champions League’s round of 16.

Eight teams who placed second in the group stage and eight teams that placed third in the Champions League group stage will compete in the Europa League play-off draw. Each group stage runner-up will play a team that is descending into the tournament from the Champions League thanks to a seeding system in the draw.

Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, and Rangers have all qualified for the Europa League’s round of sixteen automatically because they won their respective groups. They won’t know who their next opponents are until the eight play-off round winners are known.

The eight Europa League teams that placed second in their group (seeded) are Freiburg, Marseille, Sparta Prague, Sporting, Toulouse, Rennes, Roma, and Qarabag. Eight Champions League teams—Galatasaray, Lens, Braga, Benfica, Feyenoord, AC Milan, Young Boys, and Shakhtar Donetsk—finished third in their group (unseeded).

In the play-off round, clubs from the same nation cannot be paired against one another. Therefore, there is no opportunity for Roma to play Milan or Marseille to play Lens.

The 2021–2022 season saw the introduction of the play-off system. Previously, the top-finishing teams from each Europa League group, together with the runners-up and those relegating from the Champions League, would advance to the competition’s final 32.

Teams who place first in their group, like the four British competitors, are rewarded under the current system. Similar rules apply to the Europa Conference League, which is now contested by the teams that placed third in their Europa League group.

Ajax, Molde, Maccabi Haifa, Union Saint-Gilloise, Sturm Graz, Olympiacos, Maccabi Haifa, Servette, and Real Betis have all been eliminated from the Europa Conference League (unseeded). In the play-off round (seeded), they will play Ludogorets Razgrad, Ferencvaros, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bodo/Glimt, Legia Warsaw, Gent, Dinamo Zagreb, and Slovan Bratislava.

After winning their group, Aston Villa is not included in the Europa Conference League play-off draw. Club Brugge, Fiorentina, Lille, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Viktoria Plzen, PAOK, and Fenerbahce have all advanced to the tournament’s round of sixteen.

The eight group winners and the eight group runners-up will face off in the Champions League. Group winners must play runners-up from a different group; clubs within the same nation cannot be paired against one another.

Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Bayern Munich, and Arsenal are all seeded. The teams without seeds are Porto, Lazio, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, Copenhagen, PSV, Napoli, and Inter Milan.

On Monday, the Champions League draw will take place first, at approximately 11 a.m. Following at approximately 12 p.m. (UK time), the Europa Conference League draw will occur at approximately 1 p.m.

December 18, 2023
preview of Liverpool vs. Union SG: Prediction, team news, and lineups.

Liverpool welcomes Union SG to Anfield for a Europa League group-stage matchup on Thursday night as they look to rebound from their contentious Premier League loss the previous weekend.

After defeating LASK Linz 3-1 in gameweek one, the Reds are currently in first place in Group E, while their Belgian counterparts drew 1-1 with Toulouse in their opening group match.

Match preview

Liverpool’s 17-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League came to an end in dramatic and contentious circumstances on Saturday when they lost 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur, their first loss in any competition since April 1.

Just 10 minutes prior to Curtis Jones being controversially dismissed for a late challenge following a VAR review, Luis Diaz had a first-half goal incorrectly disallowed by VAR due to a “significant human error.

As soon as Diogo Jota received his second yellow card of the second half, the Reds were reduced to nine men, and Joel Matip’s own goal in the 96th minute added insult to injury for Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp expressed his displeasure with the officials after the game, and Liverpool, who have dropped to fourth in the top-flight table, have since issued a strong statement asserting that “sporting integrity has been undermined,” and they intend to “explore the range of options” in an effort to resolve the situation.

Liverpool will look to turn their frowns upside down when they resume their Europa League group-stage campaign on Thursday with a first-ever match against Union SG, and they will undoubtedly appreciate a midweek return to Anfield in the midst of the ongoing VAR controversy in the Premier League.

In fact, the Reds have won each of their last seven group-stage matches in UEFA competition and 15 of their last 21 home Europa League games.
They have also lost just one of their previous 15 matches against Belgian teams, a 3-1 loss to Anderlecht in the 1978 European Super Cup.

In their opening Group E match against Toulouse two weeks ago, Union SG, which is participating in the Europa League group stage for the second consecutive season, managed to salvage a point at home.

The French guests took the lead at halftime thanks to Thijs Dallinga, but Mohamed Amoura, who came off the bench as a substitute, scored Union SG’s equalizer in the 69th minute to put them back in the game.
Amoura has now scored four goals in as many games.

Since then, Alexander Blessin’s team has won three straight Belgian Pro League games, most recently last weekend’s 3-1 home victory over Charleroi to help the Saint-Gilles-based club maintain their position at the top of the table, albeit on goal differential after six games.

In their first Europa League campaign in 2022–2023, Union SG advanced to the quarterfinals after winning their group.
This term, finishing above Liverpool at the top of Group E seems difficult, so securing second place ahead of Toulouse and LASK Linz is a reasonable goal for Blessin and company.

Having won all five of their away games in the previous season’s Europa League, Les Unionistes enter Thursday’s match hoping to avoid defeat at Anfield and become the first Belgian club to do so.

The only other time Union SG faced English opposition was in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1958–1960, when they played Birmingham City and lost both legs.

Cody Gakpo, a forward for Liverpool, will miss several weeks due to a knee injury he sustained after scoring a first-half equalizer against Spurs last weekend, while Stefan Bajcetic (calf) and Thiago Alcantara (hip) are still receiving treatment.

Alisson Becker is expected to be replaced in goal by Caoimhin Kelleher, and Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas may start at fullback with Trent Alexander-Arnold coming on as a substitute having just recently recovered from a hamstring injury.
Klopp is also expected to change up his starting lineup.

Darwin Nunez, who has directly contributed to eight goals (six goals and two assists) in as many Europa League games, is the most likely candidate to replace the injured Gakpo up front, though Jota, Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo, and Harvey Elliott will all be vying for a spot after coming on as substitutes last weekend.

The only injury concern for Union SG is with their star striker Dennis Eckert Ayensa, who has missed the last four games with a knock and will be evaluated before Thursday’s match.
The Spaniard has seven goals in eight games so far this season.

Gustaf Nilsson will likely start at the front of the line in Ayensa’s possible absence, with Amoura, Cameron Puertas, and Lazare Amani all vying for a spot in the starting lineup in the second half.

Kevin Mac Allister, a Boca Juniors loanee and the brother of Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, is anticipated to start in a back three alongside Fedde Leysen and former Portsmouth defenders Christian Burgess, with Alessio Castro-Montes and Loic Lapoussin possibly being recalled to start on the flanks.

Liverpool’s potential starting lineup

Kelleher, Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Gravenberch, Elliott, Endo, Salah, Nunez, and Jota.

Potential starting lineup for the Union SG

Morris, Mac Allister, Burgess, Leysen, Castro-Montes, Sadiki, Vanhoutte, Lapoussin, Amani, Nilsson, and Puertas.

Prediction

We say: Liverpool 3-1 Union SG.

Union SG’s strong road record bodes well for their trip to Anfield, and they will be confident of scoring given that Liverpool has given up goals in 10 of their last 11 games across all competitions.

Even if Klopp decides to rest a few important players, Liverpool should ultimately be too good for the Belgian guests, and the Reds should have little trouble securing all three points to keep their perfect record in Group E.

October 4, 2023
Jurgen Klopp may make eight changes for Liverpool’s Europa League match against LASK

In their opening Europa League group stage match, Liverpool might select a very different starting eleven.

For the start of their Europa League campaign in Austria this week, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp may make adjustments. The Reds have made a strong start to the new Premier League season, but on Thursday night (5:45 p.m.), they will focus on European soccer.

They will play LASK, the third-placed team in the Austrian Bundesliga, in their Group E debut as they return to the Europa League for the first time since 2016–17.

Prior to back-to-back home games against Union Saint-Gilloise and Toulouse, Liverpool will be looking to get off to a strong start in the competition.

Up to eight players who started Saturday’s victory over Wolves could be benched.
Alisson is almost certain to be replaced in goal by Caoimhin Kelleher for his first game of the year.

And the back four may see two changes, with Jarell Quansah possibly the lone player who keeps his spot. He impressed when he made his debut at Molineux.

After missing the previous two games due to suspension, Virgil van Dijk could join him.

To make sure he is ready to face West Ham at Anfield on Sunday, the captain might start this game.

Due to the lack of natural alternatives at right-back, Joe Gomez may keep his position, but Kostas Tsimikas should start over Andy Robertson on the left side.

A brand-new midfield trio might be used.
Wataru Endo could be a good replacement for Alexis Mac Allister as the No. 6 despite the fact that he only played for 45 minutes at the weekend.
It’s still impossible to contact Thiago Alcantara.

After several standout performances as a substitute, Harvey Elliott deserves to get the ball. He may, however, replace Mohamed Salah in the front three.

Klopp would undoubtedly prefer to give the goal-hungry Egyptian a break than to give him a start in order to boost his numbers.

The youngster Stefan Bajcetic could then take Dominik Szoboslai’s place on the right side of the midfield trio for the remainder of the game. Ryan Gravenberch, who made his debut at the weekend but only as a late sub, might replace Curtis Jones.

Diogo Jota struggled in attack for his previous team, Wolves, and should have a chance to find more rhythm against LASK.
Darwin Nunez, who was more animated than Cody Gakpo at Molineux, might be expected to round out the lineup and create mayhem in Linz.

After the Europa League draw, Klopp stated, “They [the three opponents] have our full respect.

Since I haven’t participated in the Europa League very frequently in my life, it will be all the more memorable for me.

“They will be enjoyable and challenging.
Everyone wants to defeat us.
Preparedness is required.
It is my responsibility to make sure that we are extremely greedy in all of these games if we hope to advance in the competition.

Potential Liverpool starting lineup versus LASK: Kelleher; Gomez*, Van Dijk, Quansah*, Tsimikas; Endo, Gravenberch, Bajcetic; Elliott, Nunez, Jota*.

Pitaluga, Jaros, Konate, Matip, Scanlon, Mac Allister, Jones, and Clark could serve as the bench, along with Diaz, Salah, Doak, and Gakpo.

Alisson, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold (injured), and Thiago (injured) were omitted.

More news…….

‘Someone that I’ve respected,’ admits the £50 million Chelsea player about the Liverpool star.

Ben Chilwell, a defender for Chelsea, says he respects Andy Robertson, a star player for Liverpool.

The 29-year-old was recently listed as one of the top five full-backs in the Premier League by Ben Chilwell.

The England international said, in a statement to the Premier League’s official website, “Over the last few years, as a left-back, I’ve respected him and I’ve seen what he’s done at Liverpool.
And he has numerous awards from that venue, so he will be my fourth choice.

Knowing that Chilwell has a lot of time for Robertson is not surprising.

Of course, both players are left-backs, with the former serving as an example for all left-backs.

Since moving to Liverpool from Hull City in 2017, he has been a huge success for the Merseyside club, contributing to their numerous victories, including the Premier League and Champions League.

Another illustration would be Ben Chilwell.

Also a competent left-back is Chilwell, who Chelsea paid £50 million to acquire from Leicester City.

The 26-year-old is not currently playing there for the Blues for whatever reason. But when he does, partnering with Reece James on the other flank, he offers a lot to the team going forward, as you would anticipate from a contemporary full-back.

Chilwell is completing 2.3 key passes per league game, which is the second-highest average in Mauricio Pochettino’s team (only Enzo Fernandez is making more (2.8)), according to WhoScored.

Even though the former Leicester player now plays further forward, the aforementioned example still demonstrates his ability to spark an attack.

Nevertheless, given all of Chilwell’s attacking talent, it would be surprising if Pochettino continued to play him on the left wing for the remainder of the season.

September 19, 2023
Liverpool selects its Europa League team.

A 23-man roster has been announced by Liverpool for the UEFA Europa League.

The Reds’ ‘A list’ comprises teenagers Bobby Clark and Ben Doak in addition to summer additions Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai.

The ‘B list’ will include players like Stefan Bajcetic and Harvey Elliott as well as any others who were born on or after January 1, 2002 and have spent two years at the club.

Goalkeepers

Caoimhin Kelleher, Alisson Becker, and Vitezslav Jaros.

Defenders

Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate, and Kostas Tsimikas.

Midfielders

Bobby Clark, Thiago Alcantara, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, and Wataru Endo.

Forwards

Darwin, Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota, Ben Doak.

More news…….

Liverpool make £60m-rated West Ham star their top January target with Klopp to axe seven-season veteran

Liverpool is said to be planning to sign West Ham star Nayef Aguerd in the January transfer window and believes they can beat Manchester City to his signature by letting go of a well-liked long-serving star in the process.

After saying goodbye to six stars since the end of the previous season, the Reds spent the summer re-building their midfield. And while the departures of James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and the ineffective Arthur Melo were anticipated for some time, the sales of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson were much more unexpected.

As a result, Jurgen Klopp had to make four additions to his squad to strengthen Liverpool’s engine room, with Ryan Gravenberch becoming the final addition on deadline day.

The goal for the Netherlands international will be to make his Liverpool debut against Wolves this Saturday. Klopp must now decide how to best accommodate the Dutchman alongside fellow newcomers Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, and Waturu Endo.

It’s definitely a good problem to have, and Liverpool finally has a large pool of young players from which to choose in their midfield against struggling Wolves.

It is simple to overlook the fact that Klopp actually sought to bolster the defense during the summer transfer window.

The Reds manager was actually looking for a new right-back as well as a new center-half.
And Klopp didn’t start concentrating on his midfield until Fabinho and Henderson had left.

Klopp will reportedly review his strategy to bolster his defense in January, according to The Sun. And they claim that when the transfer window reopens in just 112 days, he plans to sign highly regarded West Ham center-half Aguerd.

Man City is a rival for Nayef Aguerd, according to Liverpool.

Only arriving at the London Stadium in the summer of 2022, the Moroccan international has since established himself as one of David Moyes’ top picks.

In fact, the 27-year-old has played 33 times across all competitions for the Hammers, scoring three goals, and is finally starting to live up to the £30 million West Ham paid Rennes for his services.

However, Liverpool are now preparing a move amid rumors that Manchester City have also added Aguerd to their list of targets.

The Hammers, however, won’t give up Aguerd easily and will anticipate getting their money’s worth for a player who is now close to reaching his prime.

Klopp will, however, reportedly focus all of his efforts on rebuilding his defensive unit going forward, according to the newspaper.
Joel Matip, a veteran of seven seasons, is currently 32 and may have recently let his standards slip.

The same age as him and showing signs of not being as strong as he once was is his fellow defender Virgil van Dijk.

But since Matip’s contract is up next summer and the former Cameroon international is no longer the top pick, Aguerd would replace him.

Aguerd is anticipated to take Matip’s place at Liverpool.

To that end, it is said that Liverpool is open to hearing offers for the former Schalke player, who might finish his career in the Bundesliga.

Van Dijk’s position would change in any deal for Aguerd, who was rumored to be moving to Saudi Arabia during the summer. Van Dijk is frequently chosen as the left-sided center-half, so the addition of the Moroccan left-footer might allow him to switch to the right-side of the central defensive line.

As a result, Klopp is likely to make the 30-times Moroccan international his top target in January, and a sizable offer is likely to cause West Ham to give it some serious thought.
And a quick path to the Liverpool first team could give them a competitive edge over City, who spent a lot of money to bring Josko Gvardiol there over the summer.

September 13, 2023
Europa League group stage draw: who can Liverpool face and when?

Liverpool will determine their opponents for their first Europa League season since reaching the 2016 final in Friday’s draw. Here’s who they can face.

The Reds were knocked out of Champions League places last season for the first time in seven years as they are used to dining at the top of European football.

Jurgen Klopp led his side to three Champions League finals between 2018 and 2022, but he is due to play football for the next European Championship on Thursday night.

Despite dropping a notch for the 2023/24 season, there are still a number of top clubs Liverpool could face if they are to progress to the knockout stages of the competition.

The groups will consist of one team from each of the four pots, with Liverpool unable to meet another English side until later rounds.

The Reds are the highest ranked team in the competition and are therefore in the first pot. Here’s a look at who we could face in the Europa League group stage this year.

Europa League group stage winning pots

Here are the 32 teams in the Europa League. Liverpool will be drawn in pots two, three and four. They cannot be drawn with Brighton, meaning there are 23 potential opponents in Friday’s draw.

Pot 1: Liverpool, West Ham, Roma, Villarreal, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, Ajax, Rangers

Pot 2: Sporting CP, Slavia Prague, Rennes, Olympiakos, Real Betis, Marseille, Qarabag

Pot 2 or 3: Molde

Pot 3: Brighton, Sheriff Tiraspol, Union Saint-Gilloise, SC Freiburg, Sparta Prague, Maccabi Haifa, Sturm Graz

Pot 3 or 4: Toulouse

Pot 4: AEK Athens, TSC, Servette, Panathinaikos, Rakow Czestochowa, Limassol

TBC: BK Hacken, LASK

When and where is the draw?

The draw will be taking place in Monaco on Friday, September 1 at 12pm (BST).

It will also be streamed live on UEFA‘s website and on TNT Sports 1.

Group Stage Schedule

Matchday 1: September 21

Matchday 2: October 5

Matchday 3: October 26

Matchday 4: November 9

Matchday 5: November 30

Matchday 6: December 14

The Round of 16 will then begin with a play-off in February, which Liverpool can circumvent by finishing top of their group.

The final will take place in Dublin on May 22, where Liverpool will be hoping to do better than their previous appearance at Basel eight years earlier.

More news…….

Aston Villa injury news as four players miss out against Liverpool as Philippe Coutinho speaks

Aston Villa injury news: The latest updates from Unai Emery’s side as they prepare for the game against Liverpool. Philippe Coutinho could seal a transfer exit and is also missing.

Philippe Coutinho hasn’t had the best time since leaving Liverpool in 2018, while his inflated transfer fee allowed the Reds to sign Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk and win the draw.

The Aston Villa team he joined is also very different from the current team as Unai Emery (and big money) turned the Midlands side into a European one.

In fact, they will play in the UEFA Conference League this season and hope to emulate West Ham United by winning this tournament. She certainly has the ideal manager to succeed in Europe.

But before that, there is still a trip to Anfield. Liverpool are keen to continue their strong start to the Premier League season but will face a tough test, including without Virgil van Dijk (suspended) and Ibrahima Konaté (injured).

Here’s a look at Aston Villa’s availability for the game, which sees four players sidelined and ineligible for Emery’s pick.

Emi Buendia and Tyrone Mings

Aston Villa didn’t have much luck with injuries earlier this season. Emi Buendía and Tyrone Mings will be out for long periods with knee injuries.

The two are expected to be out “for a long time,” Emery explained last week. Both have undergone surgery and will experience significant downtime in the meantime. Of course, neither will play against Liverpool at Anfield.

Jacob Ramsay

Jacob Ramsay is a real talent (Steven Gerrard was a huge fan during his time at Villa Park) and another big fail. In last season’s match against Liverpool at Anfield, the attacking midfielder was on the scoresheet.

He currently has an ankle injury that will keep him out for a few more weeks. He won’t be involved in that, but it will be a big boost for Emery when he gets back.

Philip Coutinho

Ex-Liverpool attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho is likely to be missing for a while, but he may not even be an Aston Villa player when he gets into the game, thanks to transfer interests from a number of places.

Fabrizio Romano reports (on Twitter/X) that Beşiktaş and Real Betis are both options for the Brazilian, with Emery willing to lose the Barcelona player to Gerrard. Coutinho is currently out with a hamstring injury but that shouldn’t hold him back for long. Despite brilliant performances in the Midlands, he just doesn’t look like the same player as before his dream move to Camp Nou.

August 31, 2023