In their final Europa League group match on Thursday, a youthful Liverpool squad suffered a 2-1 defeat against Union Saint-Gilloise. Despite the loss, Liverpool had already secured the top spot in Group E.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made significant changes, fielding a team with six players aged 20 or younger, while keeping an eye on the upcoming Premier League clash against Manchester United.
Union Saint-Gilloise, needing a win to stay in contention for the second spot, took the lead with a goal from Mohamed Amoura, but Liverpool's Jarell Quansah leveled the score. Cameron Puertas then netted a low strike just before half-time, giving the hosts a 2-1 lead.
Klopp introduced Joe Gomez, Ryan Gravenberch and Darwin Nunez in the second half, but Saint-Gilloise secured the victory. Despite the loss, Liverpool remained Group E winners.
Meanwhile, Villarreal secured a dramatic 3-2 victory against Rennes, allowing them to top Group F and qualify directly for the last 16. Dani Parejo scored a late winner, and although Rennes seemingly found a last-minute equalizer, it was disallowed by VAR.
Qarabag advanced to the knockout play-off round after a 2-1 victory against Haecken, finishing second in Group H behind Bayer Leverkusen.
AS Roma, under manager Jose Mourinho, secured a 3-0 win against Sheriff Tiraspol but settled for a knock-out play-off spot, as Slavia Prague claimed the top spot in Group G with a 4-0 win over Servette.
In the Conference League, Aston Villa qualified for the last 16 with a 1-1 draw against Bosnian club Zrinjski, featuring Nicolo Zaniolo's first goal for the club.
