Report as Liverpool take maximum points from their first two Europa League games despite a sub-par performance at Anfield; Ryan Gravenberch scores his first goal for Liverpool after a goalkeeper mistake before Diogo Jota adds a second off the bench ahead of Sunday's trip to Brighton
Friday 6 October 2023 12:17, UK
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool are "over" their defeat to Tottenham after Ryan Gravenberch scored his first goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise at Anfield in the Europa League.
Gravenberch capitalised on an error from Union goalkeeper Anthony Moris to finish from close-range just before the break after Darwin Nunez missed a sitter. Diogo Jota sealed the win off the bench in stoppage-time as Liverpool put Saturday's VAR controversy behind them.
Asked about Jota's response to being red carded on the weekend, Klopp said: "How should he deal with it? I knew it would be difficult. That [game] is long ago and we are over that and Diogo is over it as well. We are not children."
On a subdued night at Anfield, Liverpool got through the game against the Belgian league leaders despite a sub-par performance and now sit atop Group E after taking maximum points from their first two games. French side Toulouse are second on four points with Union and LASK Linz behind them.
Jurgen Klopp will be pleased to have seen all his players come through unscathed after Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota picked up suspensions at Tottenham and Cody Gakpo suffered an injury. Liverpool look to get back on track in the league after Saturday's acrimonious defeat with a trip to Brighton on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
Liverpool had a reminder of Luis Diaz's wrongly disallowed goal after 10 minutes when Nunez was flagged offside after finding the back of the net. This time the correct decision was made.
The hosts dominated possession but looked blunt after making nine changes. Mohamed Salah, perhaps a surprise starter in Europe's second-tier competition, was unable to find a way past Union goalkeeper Moris when through on goal early on.
Despite Liverpool's unconvincing performance the opportunties kept coming. Nunez spurned a chance from six yards with the goal gaping after a cross from Salah. Union nearly punished Nunez's profligacy from a corner but Gustaf Nilsson headed over.
The breakthrough was a gift just before the break as Union goalkeeper Moris spilled Trent Alexander-Arnold's shot into the path of Gravenberch. The midfielder, a £34.2m Deadline Day signing from Bayern Munich, got off the mark from point-blank range.
Klopp, seemingly unimpressed by his side's performance, made a triple change at the break but Liverpool still struggled to get going. Alisson nearly scored an own goal as he mistimed a punch which had to be cleared away from the goal-line by Liverpool's 20-year-old defender Jarell Quansah.
Alexander-Arnold, making his first start for over a month, got an hour under his belt before being taken off as he continues to get up to speed following an injury. Alexis Mac Allister came off the bench to share the pitch with his younger brother, Kevin, for the first time.
Anfield became anxious as Liverpool failed to extend their lead with Jota and Gravenberch seeing efforts tipped over by Moris. Substitute Diaz also wasted a good chance, striking the post in the latter stages as Union threatened but failed to produce anything of note.
Jota then put the result beyond doubt in stoppage-time on a counter-attack with a clinical finish. The Portugal international, who now has six goals for club and country this season, will be a miss for Liverpool ahead of a challenging game at Brighton on Sunday.
While it was far from vintage, Klopp can take comfort in the fact that his Liverpool side are in the habit of winning even when they are below the desired standard. Another three points also takes the Reds one step closer to securing early qualification to the last 16.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told TNT Sports: "It was a good beginning, but we lost rhythm and played too much around the formation and in the formation. We should have had more direction and you take what you get in these moments. We were professional but we could have been better."
On goalscorer Gravenberch, he added: "He is a top bloke and I am really happy for him. In his time in Bayern it was not the end of the world but he played 35 games which is quite reasonable for a young player. Now he can get rhythm and you see that when he is on the ball.
"When we can bring him in the right places he is really incredible. Everybody is really pleased for him. It was maybe not the most difficult goal he's scored in his career but a goal is a goal. They all count the same."
"If we can [rotate], I think we should try it," the Liverpool manager added. "It is only short turnaround for Brighton. Last year we were awful there so we have to do better. I hate thinking about the game after the game but in these quick turnarounds we have to. We don't have two strikers available for the next game so we have to do it."
Liverpool midfielder Gravenberch told TNT Sports: "It's great. It feels super good. It was the best goal of career so far I think. It doesn't matter [how it comes]. A goal is a goal."
Asked what has changed at Liverpool, he said: "I think the minutes. When you give a player minutes you get confident and that's it.
"They are really nice [at Liverpool, it's] a really good group. There are also young players here and I am just enjoying it. I like it. I think Liverpool did a great job to buy such good players and we are in such a good mood."
On the standing ovation he received, Gravenberch added: " [It meant] a lot, a lot. I am very happy that they give me such a good feeling and I want to give them something back."
Liverpool face Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 1pm; kick-off 2pm.
The international break then follows before Liverpool return to league action with the Merseyside derby at Anfield against Everton on Saturday October 21; kick-off 12.30pm.
