Young Liverpool go down in Europa League dead rubber
Juergen Klopp fielded his youngest Liverpool side in Europe and were beaten 2-1 by Union Gilloise. (EPA PHOTO)
Liverpool's youngest European team in their history has found the Europa League just too tough in Brussels as Juergen Klopp's experimental side lost the dead rubber 2-1 at Union Saint Gilloise.
A first senior goal for the ever-improving 20-year-old centre-back Jarell Quansah, their 14th different scorer this season, was the only highlight on a testing evening for Klopp's young guns.
Quansah's 40th-minute leveller equalled a club record 34th-successive goal-scoring match, with Manchester United on Sunday standing in the way of a new landmark and Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson Becker all to return after being left at home.
Liverpool's top spot was already secure despite a second defeat but the win took Union into the Europa Conference League play-offs.
West Ham beat German side Freiburg 2-0 to clinch Group A to advance directly to the last 16.
Edson Alvarez took advantage of Freiburg's high line to serve a clinical pass over the top of the defence in the 14th minute to Mohammed Kudus, who finished it off when one-on-one with the keeper.
West Ham had a goal ruled out in the 26th, but Alvarez got his name on the scoresheet with his first goal for the English team just before the break to seal the win.
Joao Pedro scored an 88th minute goal for Brighton against Marseille as the English club won 1-0 to top Group B, while Rangers qualified for the last 16 with a 3-2 win over Real Betis in Spain.
Roma beat Sheriff 3-0 but Jose Mourinho's team finished second in Group G and will have to play another round of games in February.
Romelu Lukaku scored his fifth goal of the tournament to put Roma ahead 11 minutes into the game at Stadio Olimpico. Andrea Belotti doubled the lead in the 32nd minute and Niccolo Pisilli scored in second-half stoppage time.
Slavia Prague secured the top spot with 15 points, two more than Roma, after a 4-0 victory over Swiss club Servette. Mojmir Chytil scored two goals and David Doudera and Ivan Schranz added one apiece.
In a direct encounter for the top place in Group F, Villarreal took home a 3-2 victory from Rennes and a place among the last 16. Daniel Parejo scored the winner in the 80th minute.
Bayer Leverkusen completed a perfect campaign by thrashing Molde 5-1 to achieve a sixth win in six games.
Patrik Schick, who was in the starting line-up for the first time after recovering from a long-term injury, broke the deadlock in the sixth minute thanks to Robert Andrich's assist.
Edmond Tapsoba added a second in the 22nd with a header before Martin Ellingsen's own goal gave Leverkusen a comfortable lead three minutes later.
But the German side, who were already qualified directly to the last 16, kept pushing and Adam Hlozek scored a brace with goals in the 60th and 70th.
Eric Kitolano pulled one back for Molde in the 75th.
In the Conference League, Nicolo Zaniolo's first goal for Aston Villa helped them seal their place in the competition's last 16 after a 1-1 draw against Zrinjski Mostar.
Zaniolo gave a much-changed Villa the lead in Bosnia and Herzegovina just after the hour-mark before Matija Malekinusic fired a spectacular equaliser for the hosts in the closing stages.
The point was enough to ensure Villa finished top of Group E ahead of Legia Warsaw to avoid two play-off matches and progress straight into the knockout stages.
Australian Associated Press
