Liverpool’s seven-match winning streak ended with a 2-3 loss to Toulouse in Group E of the Europa League when they used their second lineup.
Despite the fact that Luis Diaz and Allister were still key players, Jurgen Klopp only played his second squad, so Liverpool’s loss was not entirely unexpected.
Diogo Jota pulled one back on 88 minutes
VAR spotted that the ball bounced up off Alexis Mac Allister’s chest and on to his sleeve.
Luis Diaz is helpless
Joe Gomez, a defender for Liverpool, was named captain and came dangerously close to scoring his first goal in 119 appearances. Striker Cody Gakpo crossed the ball from a left-wing free kick in the fourth minute, giving Gomez a chance to head at the near post and bounce off the crossbar.
Apart from this circumstance, Liverpool failed to generate any noteworthy opportunities during the first half. They even gave up a goal when Aron Donnum broke free from defender Kostas Tsimikas and ran into Toulouse’s right penalty area. Goalkeeper CaoimhÃn Kelleher was left helpless after the Norwegian international stole the ball, struck center-back Jarell Quansah’s foot, changed course, and rocketed towards the high corner at the near post.
After the first half, Joe Cole, a former midfielder for Liverpool, stated Toulouse should have taken the lead. Even at the start of the second half, the home team produced two good chances that just missed the mark.
At the start of the second half, Coach Klopp substituted Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Mohamed Salah, but they gave up another goal before they could get ahead. They still erred on the left wing this time, giving over the ball to Diaz who was encircled by three home players.
After midfielder Vincent Sierro received the ball, he hung it into the penalty area where Thijs Dallinga, the striker, took a low, angled shot that stopped goalkeeper Kelleher in his tracks.
Liverpool overcame a humorous and unexpected circumstance by one goal. Gomez was directed toward the second post by Alexander-Arnold, who hung the ball on the left side of the penalty area. The ball dropped into the shoulder of defender Cristian Casseres Jr. into the net as he was facing away from his teammates despite the home team’s goalie and defender charging forward.
Cristian Casseres scored an unfortunate own goal
Toulouse, however, regained their two-goal lead in just three minutes. This time, striker Gabriel Suazo extended towards the second post, allowing Frank Magri to enter unmarked and touch the ball into the net. In celebration of this goal, the home team’s players and coaching staff leaped to their feet and gave each other hugs. The Toulouse crowd then turned on their phones’ lights to produce visual effects. They almost lost the point even though they might have thought that goal was sufficient to win.
Diogo Jota dribbled the ball in the middle of the penalty area, went past two players, and then sent a low left-foot shot to the far corner, giving the away team only one more goal despite their best attempts. Liverpool needs one more goal to force a draw.
The drama occurred in the seventh minute of extra time during the second half, in the closing seconds, when center-back Jarell Quansah made a weak kick in the penalty area to tie the score at three points. Georgi Kabakov, the Bulgarian referee, first signaled the goal by pointing to the delivery point, but VAR Dragomir Draganov called him out to examine the moment the ball reached midfielder Alexis Mac Allister’s hand.
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The slow motion shows that after the Argentine midfielder supported his chest, the ball bounced to his arm. Mr. Kabakov decided to cancel Quansah’s goal, meaning Toulouse preserved the victory.
The close defeat caused Liverpool to miss the opportunity to advance to the next round, but they still lead Group E.
Toulouse qualified for the Europa League this season thanks to their recent historic victory in the 2023 French Cup. They have Yanis Begraoui, a striker who was a former Pau FC teammate of Nguyen Quang Hai. Toulouse is ranked 136th in the world by Opta, which puts them below all 20 Premier League teams. Out of the 18 teams competing in the tournament, they are rated 14th in Ligue 1.