Jurgen Klopp wants a ‘real European night’ at Anfield for Liverpool’s Europa League clash

PARIS – Liverpool and their English Premier League counterparts West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion can all clinch spots in the knockout phase of the Europa League on Dec 30 with a round of group games to spare, while troubled Ajax Amsterdam face elimination from the competition.

The Reds could have already wrapped up their place in the next round, but they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat by Toulouse amid a euphoric atmosphere in France earlier in November.

That victory was celebrated, understandably, by Toulouse and their supporters as one of their greatest results, but it should go down as nothing more than a minor setback for Jurgen Klopp and his team.

Having won their previous three outings in Group E, Liverpool need only to avoid defeat at home against LASK of Austria in order to secure progress before their final match away to Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium in December.

Klopp, however, has urged his team and their supporters to give it their 100 per cent.

“We are beginning the most intense period of the whole season. It’s super tough,” he said.

“You have to be ready for everything. That means, in the match tomorrow, we have to give the best that we can. It’s about winning a football game against a really good opponent. We won there (3-1), but we had our struggles.

“We have to make this a real European night at Anfield, really fight for a result. If Anfield wants to do that as well – that would be massively helpful. We need to make a special night of it.”

Liverpool top the group with nine points, two ahead of Toulouse. Union Saint Gilloise are third with four points, one more than bottom side LASK.

A win against LASK would ensure Liverpool’s progress to the last 16 and put them in pole position to finish top of the group and avoid playing in the play-offs.

Their biggest threat is likely to come from goal-scoring midfielder and captain Robert Zulj, but it would be an enormous shock if the Austrian side took anything from their trip to England.

Klopp, meanwhile, confirmed that both forward Diogo Jota and goalkeeper Alisson Becker are unavailable after picking up injuries in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City over the weekend.

West Ham are in a similar position, knowing a win will take them through from Group A but that they could qualify regardless if results elsewhere go their way.

The Hammers will be in Serbia to take on Backa Topola, a team they defeated 3-1 in London in September but who have just claimed a notable 4-0 win away at domestic league leaders Partizan Belgrade.

David Moyes’ team are level atop their group with Freiburg and will qualify for the knockout phase as long as the German side avoid defeat at home to Olympiakos of Greece.

Brighton will extend their first-ever European adventure into the new year if they get the better of AEK Athens away in Group B, which would be a measure of revenge after they lost 3-2 when the sides met in England in September.

Roberto de Zerbi’s side looked up against it when they followed that by drawing 2-2 in Marseille, but they have since beaten Ajax twice.

Bottom side Ajax, with just two points and five behind Brighton, will need to beat group leaders Marseille (eight) away to keep alive their chances.

It has been a dreadful season so far for the Dutch giants, although they are undergoing a revival domestically, with three wins and a draw in their last four games since John van’t Schip became coach.

In other games, Rangers – beaten Europa League finalists in 2022 – have a chance to qualify if they win at home to Aris Limassol of Cyprus in Group C.

The Scots have an impressive record at home in the Europa League, winning seven and drawing one of their last eight matches at Ibrox.

They are also unbeaten since appointing Philippe Clement as their manager in October. AFP