Liverpool break 53-year record in Europe despite 2-1 Europa League loss | OneFootball

Jürgen Klopp’s young Liverpool side ended their 2023/24 Europa League group stage campaign with a 2-1 loss away to Belgium side Union Saint-Gilloise on Thursday night, though it had no detrimental effect on the Reds’ European hopes. The German tactician, with Sunday’s Premier League encounter against Manchester United in mind, rested a litany of key personnel with the top spot in Group E and passage into the knockout rounds already secured as academy quartet Ben Doak, Kaide Gordon, Luke Chambers and Conor Bradley stepped up to the plate.

After Curtis Jones was caught in possession, Mohamed Amoura opened the scoring in the 32nd minute after being freed on the flank by Gustaf Nilsson. Amoura chased towards Liverpool’s stand-in goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and rounded the Irishman to give the hosts a deserved lead. 20-year-old Jarell Quansah, who is enjoying a breakthrough season at Anfield, then put Liverpool back on level terms, largely against the run of play. A brilliant corner, courtesy of Jones, was brought down in the box by the young centre-back, and then he emphatically rifled it past the hapless Anthony Moris to score his first senior goal for the Merseyside-based outfit.

A mere three minutes later and the home side had regained their one-goal cushion as Amoura became goalscorer-turned-assistor for USG. The 23-year-old striker squared a pacey low cross into a dangerous area and Cameron Puertas ran onto it and beat Kelleher with a well-taken first-touch finish.

Klopp makes Liverpool history in Europe

The record had stood for 53 years

During the pre-match preparations, many believed that Klopp was going to break the club’s 53-year record of fielding their youngest-ever European team upon releasing his line-up for their dead rubber against USG. Before tonight, the record stood at an average of 23.4 years, which was set when the Reds locked horns with Dinamo Bucharest in the European Fairs Cup back in 1970.

With the likes of Chambers, Bradley and Gordon all on the pitch, the average age was 22.4 and, as such, smashed the record by one year. The oldest starting player on the field for the visitors was summer signing Waturo Endo (30), with 25-year-old Ibrahima Konate the second-eldest member among the starters. Jones, with the armband wrapped around his bicep, was one of the more seasoned members of Klopp’s side - and that's a surprise given he is still only 22 years of age himself.

Klopp singles out Quansah for praise

The centre-back has now opened his goalscoring account for the senior squad

Klopp, in his post-match interview, waxed lyrical about his inexperienced Liverpool side. But he singled out Jarell Quansah in particular, suggesting he is a 'top player' and a 'top talent', all while he admitted that he is pleased he is continuing to pick up key performances in his first year of regular senior football.

Predicted to become one of Liverpool's legends of the future, the Warrington-born ace has really come into his own this season, plundering 13 appearances across all competitions thus far. With man-mountain and exemplary defender Virgil van Dijk to learn from, the heights which Quansah could reach are unfathomable. Quick, athletic, intelligent on the ball - the 20-year-old has a lot of similar attributes to the Dutchman and, at such a tender age, he's poised to become even better.