Liverpool 2-0 Union St Gilloise: Ryan Gravenberch opens his account for the Reds and Diogo Jota adds a late second as Jurgen Klopp’s men keep their perfect Europa League record intact

• Liverpool beat Union St Gilloise 2-0 at Anfield on Thursday night
• The Reds top Group E with six points after two games 
• CLICK HERE to listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s ‘It’s All Kicking Off’

Following five days of debate about replaying matches and overhauling officiating after Liverpool were let down by a monumental mess-up by VAR at Tottenham, the Reds were now the benefactors of a huge mistake that tilted a tight game.

Jurgen Klopp’s side dominated their Belgian opponents Union Saint-Gilloise from start to finish but ultimately were thwarted by poor finishing on their behalf and inspired goalkeeping from Luxembourg international Anthony Moris.

It was a shame, then, that Union’s captain Moris will leave Anfield knowing he has cost his team dearly, especially noting the Belgians went undefeated in five European away days last season. 

A weak effort was parried into Ryan Gravenberch’s path and that’s all Liverpool needed.

Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz – though he might have been offside, funnily enough – Mo Salah and Diogo Jota all took turns to get into good areas and be denied by Moris, or the woodwork, but it was one of their more tame chances that helped them see off a stubborn Union side.

Ryan Gravenberch opened his account for Liverpool as the Reds beat Union St Gilloise 2-0

The Dutchman pounced on a goalkeeping mistake to put the Reds ahead 

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Gravenberch deserves the headlines for his goal, but his all-round performance was admirable, too. 

The Dutchman was signed from Bayern Munich for £34million on Deadline Day and, in a window that Liverpool nearly lumped £115m on Moises Caicedo, Gravenberch looks a steal.

He is the first player to either score or assist a goal in each of his first three starts for Liverpool in all competitions since Milan Baros in September 2002. And in just three starts, Gravenberch has equalled the total goal contributions Jordan Henderson produced in the entirety of last term.

Gravenberch, 21, buzzed around the pitch with searing runs through midfield, and played clever link-up play at the edge of the penalty area. He put in a decent shift off the ball to help out defensively and could have added to his one goal but for the acrobatics of keeper Moris.

After a week of talking about seemingly nothing but VAR and offside in Liverpool circles, it was fitting that this match started with the Reds having a goal disallowed. Darwin Nunez strayed into an offside position when he tapped home a rebound and not even VAR could mess this one up.

It was a let-off for captain and goalkeeper Anthony Moris, who has 59 Luxembourg caps, but he was afforded no such reprieve on the stroke of half-time. 

A tame Trent Alexander-Arnold effort from should have invited a regulation save but the keeper was weak and parried into danger.

New signing Ryan Gravenberch pounced on the loose ball and tapped home his first Liverpool goal – and it is hard to imagine him going on to score an easier one for the club. 

Diogo Jota added a late second goal as Liverpool sealed all the three points

It was sweet redemption for the Portuguese, who was sent off in the controversial loss to Tottenham on Saturday afternoon

MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS 

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 6.5 (Gomez 63, 6) Konate 7, Quansah 7.5, Tsimikas 6; Elliott 7, Endo 6.5 (A Mac Allister 46, 6.5), Gravenberch 8 (Szoboszlai 79); Salah 6 (Jones 46, 6), Nunez 5 (Diaz 46, 6.5), Jota 6.

Subs not used: Jaros, Mrozek, Van Dijk, Robertson, Matip, Chambers, Doak.

Booked: None.

Manager: Jurgen Klopp 7.

UNION SAINT-GILLOISE (5-3-2): Moris 7.5; Castro-Montes 6.5, K Mac Allister 7 (Sykes 86), Burgess 6, Machida 7, Terho 6 (Lapoussin 68, 6); Amani 6 (Rasmussen 75), Vanhoutte 7 (Sadiki 75), Puertas 6; Nilsson 6.5 (Rodriguez 67, 6), Amoura 7.

Subs not used: Imbrechts, Wenssens, Eckert, Teklab, Huygevelde, Leysen.

Booked: None.

Manager: Alexander Blessin 7.

Attendance: Not given 

Aside from the strike, the former Bayern Munich midfielder put in a classy display and buzzed about the pitch. 

It came after Liverpool’s worst spell in a first half that they completely dominated. 

After just five minutes, Mo Salah was denied by Moris after breaking through one-versus-one following a Jarell Quansah clearance-cum-pass that set the Egyptian free.

Liverpool fielded a relatively strong team, with Mo Salah and Alisson Becker starting, though the latter was due to usual Europa League keeper Caoimhin Kelleher pulling out of this match and Ireland duty with a knee injury suffered in training. Alexander-Arnold returned as skipper.

Nunez was central to everything good about Liverpool, but the much-discussed Uruguayan squandered a gilt-edged chance after 17 minutes, when Salah put the ball on a plate for him six yards out but he somehow fired wide. 

The curious case of Nunez continues.

Union Saint-Gilloise, the Belgian league leaders, had a team starring Alexis Mac Allister’s brother Kevin – yes, he is named after the Home Alone character – and the team who have benefitted from investments from Brighton supremo Tony Bloom, had rare moments.

Their best chance in the early exchanges came after 26 minutes, when a set-piece flew towards the unmarked striker Gustaf Nilsson but he headed high and wide from five yards out. 

Mohammed Amoura ran through on goal, rounded Alisson, but Ibrahima Konate cleaned up.

It wasn’t a vintage performance from Liverpool but Jurgen Klopp will be happy with the result

Liverpool are top ofcGroup E in the Europa League with six points after two matches 

Father Carlos Mac Allister was granted his wish of watching both of his sons on the pitch at the same time when Alexis was sent on at the break. 

The brothers had shared a cup of mate – a South American hot drink – before the game.

And the Liverpool midfielder, whose phone wallpaper is him kissing the World Cup trophy last December, immediately showed the class that helped Argentina to that triumph. 

He put the ball on a plate for Diogo Jota with a pitch-perfect cross but his header was saved well by Moris.

The keeper needed to be at full-stretch again on the hour mark to deny Gravenberch a second goal of the night, after the Dutchman manufactured himself a couple of yards of space and tried to curl a shot into the top corner. 

Union battled hard but couldn’t create any clear-cut chances on Thursday night

Moris then complained about a green laser pen being shone into his eye, which appeared to come from the Main Stand. 

Mo Salah and Wataru Endo, who both were substituted at half-time, also fell victim to the green light as they took their seats back on the bench.

Diaz came off the bench and could have wrapped up this match for Liverpool, when he was sent through on goal only to hit the post. After all the talk of his goal that never was, it was rather humorous that the Colombian looked marginally offside. Curtis Jones also went close.

Union had a great chance to equalise at the back post in injury time but could not get the ball under control and Liverpool counter-attacked with speed, with Jota confidently dispatching to put the game to bed.

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