Liverpool secured their third Europa League triumph of the season with a commanding 5-1 win against Toulouse at Anfield on Thursday night. Jurgen Klopp made the strategic decision to field several young talents in the match, and two of his new signings, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch, made a significant impact, with Gravenberch earning special praise from Klopp for his performance.
The 21-year-old Gravenberch, who arrived at Liverpool in the summer for a £35 million transfer fee, displayed his talent and potential during this match, including notching his first goal for the club. Jurgen Klopp was enthusiastic in his assessment of Gravenberch’s performance, highlighting the room for growth in the Dutch U21 star’s game.
“He’s a talented player, and it’s great to see him truly enjoying his football again,” Klopp commented to TNT Sports. “His first touch is incredible, and he shows impressive acceleration with the ball, especially in tight spaces. However, he’s just scratching the surface of his potential. There’s still so much room for improvement, which is excellent news. Given his young age, he has a very promising future.”
The match kicked off with an early goal by Diogo Jota, who executed a fantastic strike to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead in the first nine minutes. However, Toulouse responded quickly, as Thijs Dalinga capitalized on an opportunity to equalize. Liverpool bounced back, with Wataru Endo heading in a beautiful cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold, followed by Darwin Nunez scoring the third goal just four minutes later.
Gravenberch added to Liverpool’s lead after half-time, and Mohamed Salah, who came on as a substitute, sealed the victory by striking the crossbar from outside the penalty area before the ball bounced into the net.
Klopp expressed his satisfaction with the result, stating, “I’m delighted. Although there were moments where the game could have been challenging, we were largely in control. We scored remarkable goals and had opportunities for even more. The right players found the back of the net, and, importantly, we avoided injuries. It was a perfect night. We could introduce young talents and demonstrate our trust in them. That’s a great outcome.”
When asked about the decision to experiment with young talents, Klopp added, “Yes, it was the right night for experimentation. It’s more about the players needing this experience. It’s one thing for me to express my confidence in them, but they have to demonstrate it on the pitch. We have some very tough matches ahead. In good moments, we can offer the youngsters opportunities, and we did so tonight. They responded differently, with a few unavailable players like Ben Doak and Bobby Clark due to injury. However, we have a talented group of players, and we trust them and continue to invest in their development.”
