The top two teams in Group E of the Europa League face off at Anfield on Thursday night as Liverpool play host to Toulouse.
While the Reds are seeking to preserve their perfect record in this year's group stage, Les Violets also remain unbeaten and could climb to the summit with a famous triumph on Merseyside.
Match preview
© Reuters
After dropping points in their final two Premier League games before the international break, Liverpool returned to winning ways when they beat Merseyside rivals Everton by a 2-0 scoreline at Anfield last weekend.
Ashley Young's first-half dismissal certainly played into Liverpool's hands, but they had to wait until the 75th minute for Mohamed Salah to break the deadlock from the penalty spot before the Egyptian scored a second on the counter-attack deep into stoppage time to help the Reds maintain their position in the top four.
Jurgen Klopp's side will fancy their chances of building on their derby triumph over the Toffees with favourable-looking league fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Luton Town on the horizon, but they must first shift their attention to the Europa League, with Thursday's contest against a Toulouse side who they will meet for the first time since a 5-0 aggregate win in Champions League qualifying back in 2007.
Liverpool have won their opening two games in Group E, with a 3-1 comeback win over LASK Linz in matchday one followed by a routine 2-0 home success against Union SG three weeks ago, extending their unbeaten run in the Europa League group stage to 10 matches.
The Reds, who have won all six matches at Anfield in all tournaments so far this season and have only lost two of their previous 15 European home games against French opposition, can move five points clear of second-placed Toulouse with a victory on Thursday to put them firmly in control of Group E at the halfway point.
© Reuters
Toulouse extended their unbeaten run across all competitions to four matches when they rescued a point on home soil in a 1-1 draw with Reims in Ligue 1 last weekend.
Thijs Dallinga netted his second home goal in as many home matches with a close-range header to cancel out an opener from Amir Richardson just three minutes earlier, and Les Violets eventually settled for their fifth league draw of the campaign – the joint-most in Ligue 1 along with Rennes after nine games.
Also registering two wins and two defeats so far this season, Carles Martinez's men unsurprisingly sit mid-table in Ligue 1 following a mixed start to 2023-24, just three points above the bottom three as well as four points adrift of the European places.
Competing in European competition for the first time in 14 years, Toulouse resume Europa League duties on Thursday after claiming four points from their opening two matches in Group E, with a 1-1 draw played out at Union SG in matchday one followed by a slender 1-0 home win over LASK Linz three weeks ago.
Les Violets, who have failed to win each of their last five away games in all tournaments, enter Thursday's contest at Anfield as major underdogs, but success over Liverpool would see them record back-to-back European victories in the same season for the first time since 1987-88 when they beat Panionios home and away in the UEFA Cup first round.
Team News
© Reuters
Liverpool will be without Andrew Robertson (shoulder), Thiago Alcantara (hip) and Stefan Bajcetic (calf) due to injury, and teenage attacker Ben Doak (muscle) is also set to miss out, but Klopp has confirmed that Cody Gakpo is available for selection after missing the last three games with a hamstring problem.
Curtis Jones is available to return after serving the second of his three-game domestic ban last weekend, and the midfielder could replace Dominik Szoboszlai in the first XI, while Wataru Endo will compete with Alexis Mac Allister for a start in the deep-lying midfield role.
Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah will all be pushing to start in defence, while Darwin Nunez will be hoping to force his way back into the front three at the expense of either Luis Diaz or Diogo Jota, the latter of whom has scored seven goals in his last six Europa League games.
As for Toulouse, Zakaria Aboukhlal and Oliver Zanden both remains sidelined with respective ankle and hip injuries, while Thursday's game may come too soon for summer signing Ibrahim Cissoko, who is yet to make his debut this season due to a foot problem.
However, Stijn Spierings is available for selection after serving a one-match domestic suspension last weekend and the Dutchman is expected to return to the first XI to replace either Vincent Sierro, Niklas Schmidt or Cristian Casseres Jr in centre-midfield.
Logan Costa is also available to return after missing the last Europa League game with LASK Linz through suspension, and the centre-back is set to resume his partnership at the heart of the defence with Rasmus Nicolaisen.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold; Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Jones, Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Toulouse possible starting lineup:
Restes; Keben, Costa, Nicolaisen, Suazo; Spierings, Sierro, Casseres Jr; Donnum, Dallinga, Gelabert
We say: Liverpool 2-0 Toulouse
Liverpool cannot take Thursday's opponents lightly, considering that Toulouse remain unbeaten in Group E and have also held both Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille in Ligue 1 this term.
However, the Reds should ultimately have too much quality for their French counterparts, even if Klopp decides to rest a few first-team stars, and we expect the hosts to come away with a routine victory to move them one step closer to reaching the knockout rounds.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
