Liverpool suffered a 2-1 defeat against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League, highlighting the struggles of their young players. Jurgen Klopp entrusted several youngsters like Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Luke Chambers, Harvey Elliott, and Ben Doak with starting positions, resulting in Liverpool fielding their youngest-ever starting XI in a European match. However, the team’s lack of experience was evident as they failed to overcome the determined Belgian hosts. Union Saint-Gilloise took the lead when Mohammed Amoura capitalized on defensive disorganization and beаt goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Liverpool’s only two shots of the game came from a corner, with defender Jarell Quansah scoring the equalizer. However, the joy was short-lived as Cameron Puertas broke through the defense to score, exposing Liverpool’s vulnerabilities once again.

Despite making substitutions, including Ryan Gravenberch, Joe Gomez, and Darwin Nunez, it was the home team that looked more threatening in front of goal. Liverpool had already secured their place as group winners, but Jurgen Klopp will undoubtedly be concerned about the performance of their young talents against Union Saint-Gilloise.

Jarell Quansah – 7 – Man of the Match

Quansah emerged as the Man of the Match, scoring his first senior goal for Liverpool that counted, after having one ruled out earlier in the group stage. He struck the ball with power and found the net. He did encounter some difficulties with runners in the channels, including for the opposition’s goal, highlighting the importance of playing alongside a more vocal partner for young defenders. However, he was solid thereafter, displaying a confident demeanor. He won his fair share of headers and made several crucial blocks to thwart opponents’ attacking runs.

Luke Chambers – 5

Similar to Bradley but possibly slightly less impressive. He was caught out a few times with simple passes and lost a few challenges. What’s more concerning is that he seemed very slow when turning or trying to get back into position. It could be due to the poor pitch conditions or needing to shake off some early adrenaline. It would have been better if he had made a bigger impact.

Wataru Endo – 6

He also only played in the first half, as the focus was on upcoming domestic matches and Alexis Mac Allister was definitely ruled out for the weekend. He was caught in possession a couple of times and lost a tackle that led to the opposing team’s opening goal. However, the most important thing was to avoid ιnjury, and he did that.

Harvey Elliott – 7

Along with Endo, he is one of the only two players in the Reds’ squad to have started every Europa League group stage match. He put in a lot of hard work and was probably the best player on the ball in midfield for the team. However, he couldn’t create much in the final third. Nevertheless, it was good for him to get some playing time, minutes under his belt, and build some rhythm. He has been one of our more impressive performers when coming off the bench in domestic matches. He looked more involved and threatening when he was able to push forward towards the right-wing area at times.

Curtis Jones – 6

He was the captain from the start. He was one of the few players who could control the ball on a pitch that looked like it had been through a cement mixer just before kιck-off. However, along with his good positioning and one-touch game, there was a sense that he felt the need to do everything himself, which led to him losing possession in the build-up to the opposing team’s first goal.

Kaide Gordon – 6

After making four appearances in the 2021/22 season, he suffered a year and a half of ιnjury setbacks. Tonight’s return to action was a reward for his perseverance, with the focus being more on his fitness, getting game time, and gaining some confidence. He showed glimpses of his talent with one or two dribbles, and we can expect to see him feature more in the coming weeks.

Ben Doak – 6

He played on the left, which is rare for him at the senior level. He made a few early sprints and attempted to cut inside, but the pitch conditions on his side were difficult, and he didn’t receive much service or support. It was a challenging game for him.

Cody Gakpo – 4

He is possibly the most lightweight 6-foot-3 forward in the world. He doesn’t utilize his physicality effectively, easily gets knocked off balance, and doesn’t contribute much. To be honest, he has been quite poor for most of this season and seems far from being a starting-quality option at the moment. Perhaps his heart wasn’t in a match that had no significance, but we expect better from him.

Caoimhin Kelleher – 7

Kelleher had a decent start to the game, displaying solidity in the early stages. However, he will be disappointed with both goals conceded in the first half. One goal went past him, as his wrist wasn’t strong enough to stop the ball, while the second was a well-Һit strike at the near post that he wouldn’t enjoy conceding.

He made some good claims in the air and pulled off a brilliant one-on-one save early on with his foot. He was beaten by a shot to his left, which was later ruled out, but he also saved another shot to the same side and a late swerving effort high to his right.

Conor Bradley – 5

Bradley’s defensive performance was a learning experience, especially considering it was his long-awaited return to senior action for the club, with his last start coming in the 2021/22 season. He was booked for a poor tackle and lost possession and his marker on multiple occasions. However, he did contribute going forward when he had the opportunity to overlap.

Ibrahima Konate – 5

Konate appeared somewhat undercooked in the match. He didn’t perform at his usual imperious level, even struggling in foot races as seen in the second goal conceded in the channel. He played only 45 minutes as he will be needed for league action, particularly with Joel Matip out for the season.