Liverpool shocked by Toulouse, While Brighton win comfortably at Ajax

Liverpool were stunned by a 3-2 defeat at Toulouse in Europa League Group E on Thursday, while Brighton & Hove Albion boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stages with a 2-0 victory at Ajax Amsterdam.

Juergen Klopp’s Liverpool still lead the group with nine points, two more than Toulouse, but they were denied a late equaliser by the VAR in the dying seconds of the game.

LASK claimed their first points with a 3-1 win over Union Saint Gilloise at home, who stayed third in the group.

Liverpool began well, and Joe Gomez hit the bar with a header from a set piece.

The hosts took the lead after 36 minutes when Aron Donnum intercepted a pass in midfield, ran into the box, and scored with a shot that took a deflection before Thjis Dallinga made it 2-0 in the 58th minute.

Liverpool reduced the gap in the 73rd minute through an own goal from Cristian Casseres, but Frank Magri restored the hosts’ two-goal cushion three minutes later, tapping in a deflected cross from close range.

Luis Diaz, whose father had been freed by kidnappers earlier on Thursday, started for Liverpool but was replaced by Diogo Jota nine minutes from time after failing to make an impression.

Jota gave the Premier League side some hope when he dribbled into the box and found the bottom corner of the net.

Liverpool thought they had snatched a draw when Jarell Quansah scored in the seventh minute of added time, but the VAR ruled it out due to a handball by Alexis Mac Allister earlier in the move.

Brighton secured their second win of the competition with a comfortable win at Ajax thanks to goals from Ansu Fati and Simon Adingra.

Fati opened the scoring by coolly slotting the ball into the net after 15 minutes, and Adingra doubled the lead in the 53rd minute from close range.

Brighton moved closer to the knockout stages by taking the top spot in Group B by seven points, two ahead of Olympique de Marseille, who play AEK Athens later on Thursday.

AS Roma suffered a shock 2-0 loss at Slavia Prague, slipping to second place in Group G, level on nine points with the Czech side, who top the standings.

Bayer Leverkusen earned a last-minute 1-0 win at Qarabag in Group H to maintain their perfect start and secure their place in the knockout stages.