ANOTHER day, another completely bonkers game.
The week which keeps on giving once again once produced a completely crazy game, just like the previous ones between Spurs and Chelsea along with Manchester United’s loss at Copenhagen.
It may only have been the Europa League but do not tell that to anyone inside this stadium who could not believe what they were seeing.
Unbelievably, Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah thought he had scored a 97th-minute equaliser after Diogo Jota made it 3-2 in the 89th minute.
While there was mayhem on the touch with players arguing with each other, Bulgarian ref Georgi Kabakov – having pointed to the centre circle for a goal – was called over to the screen after VAR spotted that the ball bounced up off Alexis Mac Allister’s chest and on to his sleeve.
After a long check, Kabakov ruled the goal out so Liverpool were denied a remarkable recovery.
Thousands of Liverpool fans have booked their accommodation for the Europa League final in Dublin next May and there is no room for panic. Certainly not yet.
But here was a reminder that even though Jurgen Klopp’s men will surely still qualify for the knockout stages, the route to Ireland on May 22 will not necessarily be that straightforward – even against teams as seemingly poor as Toulouse.
Yet with just two wins in their previous 13 games, the Ligue 1 strugglers were deserved winners over Jurgen Klopp’s mix-and-match team in what was another bonkers game in this crazy week of football.
A first-half strike from Norwegian winger Aron Donnum and a cracking second-half goal from Thijs Dallinga put Toulouse in control.
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Even when Liverpool pulled one back through an own goal from Cristian Casseres, Toulouse restored their two-goal lead through sub Frank Magri with Klopp’s defence all over the place.
Jota scored to set up a tense finish although no one could have expected another huge twist right at the end.
Luis Diaz was celebrating the news that just hours before kick-off, his father had been released by kidnappers in Colombia.
Having scored a leveller in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Luton, Diaz started here in southern France but lost possession for the second goal, not that it will bother him considering what he has been through.
Ultimately, this was a night Klopp will rather forget knowing a win at home to LASK in three weeks will be enough to get them through.
For much of the first half, Liverpool were in control against a Toulouse team who were desperately poor.
Yet they capitalised on a really poor effort from Konstantinos Tsimikas which merely illustrated why the injured Andy Robertson cannot return soon enough.
Tsimkas was caught dithering and he was dispossessed by Donnum who charged into the Liverpool area and saw his shot deflect off Quansah and over Caoimhin Kelleher.
Klopp made three changes at half-time, including the introduction of Mo Salah, and the German boss was clearly unimpressed with Tsimikas who was replaced with Trent Alexander-Arnold coming into the defence and Gomez moving across to left-back.
Yet Liverpool actually got worse in the second half. Toulouse striker Dallinga thought he had scored a second but was penalised for a shove on Joel Matip.
He celebrated wildly, not releasing the referee had blown for a free-kick yet the Dutch striker did not have to wait too long before scoring one for real as he smashed a shot via the far post after Diaz lost the ball.
Niklas Schmidt thought he had made it 3-0 but the goal was ruled out for offside and then Liverpool pulled one back when Gomez’s header was turned into the net by the arm of midfielder Casseres.
Toulouse moved into a 3-1 lead Kelleher spilled a cross into the path of Magri who had only been on the pitch for six minutes.
Yet in the 89th minute, Diogo Jota scored the best goal of the night, tearing past three players before finishing from inside the area.
When the ref signalled seven minutes of injury-time, the locals feared the worst and when Quansah scored they feared the worst – before VAR struck.
Here’s how the action unfolded…
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
