09 November 2023 , 21:18
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It was supposed to be an evening of celebration for Liverpool but the teammates of Luis Diaz clearly didn’t get the script.
On a night of drama that, in truth, paled into insignificance in comparison to the torment endured by the Colombian and his family after the 12 day kidnap ordeal of his father, the English club failed to provide the perfect ending, after news of the release of Diaz Snr.
They came mighty close mind, despite perhaps their worst performance of the season, when victory in their Europa League tie would have guaranteed they qualified as group winners for the knockout stage. Twice trailing Toulouse by two goals, substitute Diogo Jota gave them a lifeline in the 88th minute, with a fine goal as he jinked past four defenders on the edge of the box, before finishing with his customary cool.
And despite a performance to forget, it almost became memorable, when in the 97th minute, young defender Jarrall Quansah forced the ball home after a mighty scramble, to devastate the passionate Toulousain crowd. Yet even as it appeared the Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov had given the goal following a VAR check, he was then persuaded to go to the monitor to check a hand ball by Alexis Mac Allister.
The ball appeared to hit his chest, and then brush an arm, but somehow, the VAR officials and referee managed to court yet more controversy as they deemed it a foul to give Toulouse victory. It was what they deserved, but not in that manner. Diaz himself was inspired.
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He was told his father was free as the team coach arrived at this passionate stadium, and showed the energy of his emotion to be behind the rare good things the English club produced here in the south of France. In truth, it was a display from Liverpool constantly undermined by poor mistakes - the crucial first goal, which lifted a home team that looked distinctly short on confidence, coming from a terrible error from the hapless Kostas Tsimikas.
Toulouse deservedly claimed victory on Thursday (Pierre Costabadie/Icon Sport via Getty Images)Have your say! Will Liverpool win the Europa League this season? Join the debate in the comments section.
It lifted Toulouse, and Klopp will count his blessing his side weren’t on the end of a thrashing, with the French club, who are lurking around the relegation zone in their own league, having a goal dubiously disallowed for a foul, and another for offside. Diaz had started so brightly for Liverpool, you assumed it was destined to be his night, but despite creating a fine chance for Mac Allister, Tsimikas turned the tide of the game with howler.
He spent far too long on the ball as he faced his own goal, was robbed by Aron Donnum, who saw his shot fortunately deflected over Caoimhin Kelleher into the roof of the net. No wonder he was hooked at half time. After the break, with Liverpool still reorganising following three substitutions, Toulouse struck again, as their impressive support roused them to new heights. Thjis Dallinger produced a brilliant turn and shot, to find the net, with the Reds defence asleep.
Liverpool were briefly back in the game through some good fortune, when Joe Gomez’s far post header was turned in on his own line by Cristian Casseres. But that didn’t lift the English side. Instead, Toulouse went down the other end and restored their two goal lead when substitute Frank Magri crept a shot in at the near post, after a mistake from Kelleher kept the ball alive.
Only then did Liverpool start to play, but despite Jota’s quality, Diaz was to be denied the ending he wanted by some more shocking officiating… With the time surely right to review the whole existence of VAR. If you’ll excuse the pun.