✍️ A brief summary of the game.
This was not a classic performance, but Liverpool got the job done by scoring at the end of both halves.
Before the break, Ryan Gravenberch scored his first goal in a Liverpool shirt, pouncing on the rebound after Trent Alexander-Arnold's attempt from the long range.
It took Liverpool until the 92nd minute to double the lead. After they broke on the counter, Diogo Jota slotted the second goal.
Prior to that, however, the Reds had to weather a mild storm as Union pushed for an equaliser. Fortunately, Alisson kept a rare clean sheet.
🏁 FT. Liverpool keep a clean sheet and get three points!
⚽ 92' GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAL! Jota makes it two!!
Paul Gorst, X: "Liverpool break on the counter and after good work from Diaz, Jota takes over and steers it home with his left foot. Game over."
CarryOnUptheMorning, Reddit: "Great finish from Jota, been poor all game really but when he gets a chance he always takes it."
⌚ 90' Five minutes added.
⌚ 87' Jones goes close with a shot from just outside the box. Just wide.
Watch LFC, X: "Nothing to say about this second half except Curtis Jones is a ball recovery machine."
📊 86' Man of the Match?
⌚ 80' Diaz hits the post! Could've been offside, though.
stupidlyboredtho, Reddit: "Diaz holy shit that’s Nunez miss. Also twatting Jota with the ball was hilarious"
🔄️ 79' Szoboszlai on for Gravenberch.
CarryOnUptheMorning, Reddit: "Grav was the best player on the pitch first half looks like he's settled in well and is getting better and better."
⌚ 72' Union had a few corners in a row. The game's not decided yet...
Tohotmos-III, This Is Anfield: "USG starting - rightly so - to think why not getting something from this game.. honestly 🙄 we always need to do it the hard way"
xrunawaywolf, Reddit: "Pretty dodge we're only 1-0, we could randomly concede of a corner. Put a few more away lads"
⌚ 64' Gomez's cross from the deep nearly finds Diaz.
🔄️ 63' Gomez coming on for Trent to fill in at right-back again.
James Pearce, X: "TAA has been excellent. Makes such a difference having him back. Class act"
⌚ 61' Gravenberch goes for it again, but Moris tips the effort over the bar.
⌚ 52' Jota's header saved. Great cross from Mac Allister.
gunny16, Reddit: "Jota doesn't look tall, but he's so amazing getting his head on those balls."
⌚ 50' Alisson's failed punch of the ball causes mild panic in the box, Quansah clears.
🔄️🔄️🔄️ 46' Back underway. Mac Allister, Jones and Diaz come on for Endo, Nunez and Salah. It's the Mac Allister derby time!
📊 First-half stats.
✍️ First half summarised:
This could've been the most straightforward first half of the season - even though the goal came right at the end.
It's been all Liverpool, as Union struggle to come out of their own half. The only chance they created came through a set piece - although that was a big opportunity.
Liverpool, however, had more big chances but failed to convert a single one. Darwin Nunez is the chief culprit who contrived to squander a simple tap-in.
Fortunately, they were gifted another chance by Anthony Moris: Union's keeper failed to smother the ball after Trent's long-range effort, and Ryan Gravenberch pounced and scored his first Liverpool goal.
⏸️ HT. Liverpool with a narrow lead after the first half.
⌚ 45' So close to an immediate comeback from Union. Amoura clips the ball over Alisson, but Konate is quick enough to clear it.
⚽ 44' GOOOOOAAAAAAL! Gravenberch pounces as Trent's long-range shot forces a rebound! The goalkeeper really should've done better.
MajikoiA3When, Reddit: "Deserved, one of the only players that is progressing the ball tonight"
NOVAram, This Is Anfield: "That's a bad one for the keeper. Needs to get swallowed, that."
⌚ 36' Another chance for Nunez! A more difficult one, but he still didn't score.
⌚ 31' The game was briefly stopped due to a medical emergency in the stands. Back on now.
⌚ 27' Jota wants a penalty, but it's not given. Really does not look like he was fouled, to be frank.
kusanagi, This Is Anfield: "Foreign refs just give me a little more confidence."
Big_Mac_Is_Red, Reddit: "Don't like seeing any players dive. That includes ours."
⌚ 25' A chance for Union. Nilsson's header goes over the bar.
⌚ 21' Elliott's cross finds Salah at the far post. His header is not too difficult, though.
⌚ 17' Nunez misses a simple tap-in. Chance created by Elliott, Salah set Nunez up, but the shot goes wide.
Kloppholic, X: "Chance was too easy for Nunez to score."
⌚ 15' All Liverpool so far, but no breakthrough yet.
Ian Doyle, X: "Union are bit flappy when playing the ball out of defence, but LFC haven't been able to capitalise so far. They are getting openings"
⌚ 10' Nunez scores from a rebound after Gravenberch's shot, but he was offside. Ruled out.
EndOfDays17, Reddit: "Gravenberch is superb. What a player. Silky smooth. He starts at Brighton for me with Jones suspended."
NOVAram, This Is Anfield: "Gravenberch's got bags of class. It's just a matter of getting him to fully harness it. He has world-class potential. Whether or not he ends up getting there is another matter."
⌚ 5' Big chance for Salah! Low-driven effort denied. Quansah did well to deliver the ball to Mo.
⌚ 3' Konate does well to cover the run of Amani.
AwkwardlylyAwkward, Reddit: "Still can't get around how fc24 gave konate a speed of 77, dude is the fastest player on the field"
⌚ 1' Come on! We're underway!
👉 In case you missed them, here are the starting lineups.
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Elliott, Gravenberch; Salah, Jota, Nunez
Union SG: Moris; Mac Allister, Burgess, Machida; Castro-Montes, Amani, Vanhoutte, Puertas, Terho; Nilsson, Amoura
👨👨 Mac Allisters meeting up before the game:
👋 Hello and welcome back to Anfield! Today, Liverpool will try to get back to winning ways as they take on Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League.
Surprisingly, Jurgen Klopp has gone with a quite strong team for the game. Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson all start despite an important Premier League game against Brighton coming up in less than 72 hours.
Elsewhere, the Mac Allister clash is delayed. Kevin Mac Allister starts for Union, but Alexis starts the game on the bench for the Reds.
