The top two in Europa League Group E meet at Anfield on Thursday night when Liverpool host Toulouse.
While the Reds will be looking to maintain their perfect record this year and in the group stages, Les Violets also remain unbeaten and could go up with a famous win on Merseyside.
Match preview
After dropping points in their last two Premier League games before international action begins, Liverpool returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Merseyside side Everton at Anfield last weekend.
Ashley Youngand#039’s first-half save certainly played into Liverpool’s hands, but they had to wait until the 75th minute for Mohamed Salah to shoot offside from the penalty spot before the Egyptian hit another counter-attack. attack deep into the deadlock to help the Reds maintain their position in the top four. Jurgen Kloppand#039’s side feel they have the chance to build on their Derby victory over the Toffees with favorable games against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Luton Town on the horizon, but they must first focus on the Europa League. They will face Toulouse for the first time since a 5-0 aggregate victory in the 2007 Champions League qualifier against Toulouse on Thursday.
Liverpool have won their opening two games in Group E. LASK beat Linz 3-1 on the first matchday, followed by a routine 2-0 home win against Union SG three weeks ago to extend their Europa League group losing streak. 10 for the match.
The Reds, who have won all six games at Anfield this season and lost just two of their last 15 European home games against French opposition, can move within five points of second-placed Toulouse with a win on Thursday. they were firmly in control in the middle of Group E.
Toulouse extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to four games when they salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw at home to Reims in Ligue 1 last weekend.
Thijs Dallinga scored his second home goal in as many home games to narrowly cancel out Amir Richardson’s opener just three minutes earlier and Les Violets finally settled for their fifth league level of the campaign. Ligue 1 with Rennes after nine games. Also this season with two wins and two losses, Carles Martinezand#039; men after 2023-2024 from a mixed start to the 2018 campaign, surprisingly finished mid-table in Ligue 1, just three points above the top three and four points away. of places in Europe.
Competing in Europe for the first time in 14 years, Toulouse resume their Europa League duties on Thursday after picking up four points from their opening two Group E games. Union SG drew 1-1 on matchday one followed by a narrow draw. Three weeks ago, LASK beat Linz 1:0 at home.
Les Violets, winless in their last five away games in all competitions, go into Thursday’s contest at Anfield as significant underdogs, but success at Liverpool would make it European wins in the same league for them. season for the first time since 1987–88, when Panionios were beaten home and away in the first round of the UEFA Cup.
Team news
Liverpool will be without Andrew Robertson (shoulder), Thiago Alcantara (thigh) and Stefan Bajcetic (calf) through injury, while teenage striker Ben Doak (muscle) is also out, while Cody Gakpo (thigh). training, but it is still uncertain and will be evaluated before starting.
Curtis Jones is expected to return after serving the second of his three-match home ban last weekend and the midfielder could replace Dominik Szoboszlai in the starting line-up, while Wataru Endo will compete with Alexis Mac Allister in deep midfield. role Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah are all expected to start in defence, while Darwin Nunez hopes to return to the front three at the expense of either Luis Diaz or Diogo Jota, the latter of whom has scored seven goals. goals in the last six Europa League games.
Toulouse’s Zakaria Aboukhlal and Oliver Zanden are both sidelined with ankle and hip injuries, while Thursday’s game may come too soon for summer signing Ibrahim Cissoko, who has yet to make his debut this season due to foot problems. .
However, Stijn Spierings is in the squad after serving a one-game domestic ban last weekend, and the Dutchman is expected to return to the first team, replacing either Vincent Sierro, Niklas Schmidt or Cristian Casseres Jr. in midfield.
Logan Costa is also expected to return after missing the last Europa League game against LASK Linz through suspension, with the centre-back continuing in the heart of the defense alongside Rasmus Nicolaisen.
Liverpool’s possible starting line-up:
Alisson; Alexander Arnold; Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Jones, Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Possible starting lineup for Toulouse:
In grids; Keben, Costa, Nicolaisen, Suazo; Spierings, Sierra, Casseres Jr; Donnum, Dallinga, Gelabert
We say: Liverpool 2-0 Toulouse
Liverpool cannot take Thursday’s opponents lightly as Toulouse remain unbeaten in Group E and have held both Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille in Ligue 1 this season. However, the Reds should have too much quality for their French counterparts, even if Klopp decides to rest some first-team stars, and we expect the hosts to get a routine win to take them a step closer to the play-offs. . circles
