Liverpool are embarking on their first Europa League marketing campaign since reaching the ultimate in 2016, however how good are the edges they’ll be arising in opposition to within the group stage?
The Reds have been positioned in Group E alongside LASK, Toulouse and Union SG at UEFA’s attract Monaco at the beginning of September.
Jurgen Klopp will hope it’s clean crusing into the spherical of 16. Ought to Liverpool prime the group, they might bypass the final 32 stage.
Journeys to Austria, France and Belgium await for the Reds, however what can followers anticipate from the six group section encounters?
Right here’s a fast information to the groups we’ll face on this season’s Europa League earlier than Christmas.
LASK
Supervisor: Thomas Sageder
Key gamers: Robert Zulj (captain and prime scorer), Andres Andrade (centre-back), Florian Flecker (proper midfielder)
Kind this season: third in Austrian Bundesliga; 14 factors from 7 video games; 4 wins, 2 attracts, 1 loss
Final 5 matches: W-W-D-W-W
Liverpool kick off their European journey with a visit to Austria to face LASK in what would be the first-ever assembly between the 2 golf equipment.
They completed third within the Austrian Bundesliga final season and secured their spot in Group E after beating Zrinjski Mostar over two legs in ultimate qualifying spherical.
It isn’t the primary time the Austrian facet have come up in opposition to Premier League opposition; they confronted Man United within the spherical of 16, again in 2020.
5 months separated the 2 legs as a result of coronavirus pandemic, with Man United finally progressing 7-1 on combination.
They then reached the spherical of 16 stage final season, too, and can anticipate to progress from the group given their standing in pot two.
Enjoyable truth: LASK have only one senior worldwide enjoying for them, in comparison with Union SG’s six and Toulouse’s seven. That participant is Andres Andrade who performs for Panama.
Toulouse
Supervisor: Carles Martinez
Key gamers: Zakaria Aboukhlal (proper winger, prime scorer this season), Rasmus Nicolaisen (centre-back), Vincent Sierro (midfielder and captain)
Kind this season: Thirteenth in Ligue 1; 6 factors from 5 video games; 1 win, 3 attracts, 1 loss
Final 5 matches: D-D-L-D-W
In contrast to LASK, Liverpool have performed Toulouse earlier than, having met in a Champions League qualifier again in 2007.
Rafa Benitez steered his facet to a 5-0 combination win on that event, en path to a 3rd semi-final in 4 years.
Toulouse completed Thirteenth in Ligue 1 final season however secured their spot in Europe, because of a shock success within the Coupe de France, thrashing Nantes 5-1 within the ultimate.
Enjoyable truth: Followers might keep in mind the French facet’s present president, Damien Comolli (pictured above), who labored at Liverpool as director of soccer between 2010 and 2012.
Union SG
Supervisor: Alexander Blessin
Key gamers: Dennis Eckert (striker and prime scorer), Christian Burgess (former Portsmouth centre-back), Anthony Moris (goalkeeper and captain)
Kind this season: ninth in Belgian Professional League; 10 factors from 6 video games; 3 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses
Final 5 matches: L-D-W-W-L
— Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (@UnionStGilloise) September 1, 2023
Enjoying in European competitors is one thing of a fairytale for Union SG, who have been within the second tier of Belgian soccer simply three years in the past.
They returned to the Belgian Professional League after a 48-year hiatus in 2021/22 and cemented themselves within the prime flight with a third-place end final season.
Liverpool might have met them in final season’s Champions League, had Rangers not knocked Union SG out within the qualifying spherical earlier than being drawn in Liverpool’s group.
The Belgian facet reached the quarter-final of final season’s Europa League nevertheless it was former Purple Xabi Alonso who put an finish to their run, beating them whereas managing Bayer Leverkusen.
Enjoyable truth: The conferences might be a household affair for Alexis Mac Allister and his brother, Kevin, who signed for Union SG this summer season.
