What Union SG's manager spotted 'from the first minute' against Liverpool that ensured victory

Royal Unions Saint-Gilloise manager Alexander Blessin hailed how his side did not show Liverpool respect to deliver a famous victory.

The Reds fielded a much-changed team for their final Europa League Group E game, having already moved into the last 16 of the competition. As a result, Jurgen Klopp named a youthful side with an average age of just 22. The likes of Conor Bradley, Kaide Gordon, Ben Doak and Luke Chambers were all given outings.

Liverpool were well below par, especially in the first half. Union took the lead in the 32nd minute through Mohamed Amoura and although Jarell Quansah equalised Cameron Puertas' 43rd-minute strike delivered the Belgian side a deserved 2-1 win. It means that Union drop into the Europa Conference League after finishing third in the group.

Although Blessin was wary that the Reds overhauled their starting line-up, with Virgil van Dijk, Alison Becker, Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold not even travelling, he was still delighted. "It’s still Liverpool and I’m proud of my players," Blessin said at his post-match press conference.

"We deserved our victory. From the first minute, I saw a team that didn't want to show too much respect for the opponent. I think we have made progress on this point. We wanted to create a magical evening and I am very happy."