Liverpool v Union Saint-Gilloise: Europa League – live

Liverpool have an exceptional record against Belgian clubs. At Anfield, they’ve played seven and won seven, scoring 17 goals and conceding just five. They’ve also beaten a side from Belgium in two major finals: Brugge in the 1976 Uefa Cup, Brugge again in the 1978 European Cup. So Union are up against it tonight, though at least they’ve never accumulated any historical scar tissue of their own: this is the first time they’ve ever played a team from England, so their slate is clean. They also arrive on a six-match unbeaten run away in Europe, winning four of those games. So les Unionistes – who last won their domestic league in 1935 and the Belgian Cup in 1914 – will be rocking up with plenty of confidence of their own.

A reminder of what happened in Liverpool’s first game in Group E. Luis Diaz scored; it counted.

Liverpool name a stronger side than many would have expected. Mohamed Salah starts up front alongside Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, Alisson keeps goal with cup specialist Caoimhin Kelleher sidelined by a training-ground injury that required 12 stitches, and Trent Alexander-Arnold is back after a month out with a hamstring injury. Salah and Alisson are the only two players who keep their starting place in the wake of the 2-1 defeat at Spurs.

Kevin Mac Allister starts for Union Saint Gilloise. His brother Alexis has to make do with a place on the Liverpool bench. They played together for Argentinos Juniors between 2016 and 2019.

Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Quansah, Tsimikas, Elliott, Gravenberch, Endo, Salah, Nunez, Jota.
Subs: Gomez, van Dijk, Diaz, Szoboszlai, A Mac Allister, Jones, Robertson, Matip, Chambers, Doak, Jaros, Mrozek.

Union Saint Gilloise: Moris, Castro-Montes, K Mac Allister, Burgess, Machida, Terho, Amani, Vanhoutte, Puertas, Nilsson, Amoura.
Subs: Rasmussen, Eckert, Lapoussin, Teklab, Rodriguez, Imbrechts, Sykes, Sadiki, Wenssens, Huygevelde, Leysen.

Referee: Morten Krogh (Denmark).

Tonight’s video assistant referee is Roi Reinshreiber. Hopefully that’s the last time we’ll be mentioning him, then. Kick off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!