- TFC achieved a feat by beating Liverpool at the Stadium on Thursday evening (3-2). After four days of the Europa League, Toulouse have 7 points and move up to second place in Group E, two lengths behind the Reds, still leaders.
- Jürgen Klopp missed the bet that had pleased him so much at Anfield two weeks earlier, against the same team (5-1).
- However, the German manager, who previously praised the enthusiasm of the Toulouse fans, who were still incredible this Thursday, did not appreciate the conditions in which the post-match press conference took place.
At the Toulouse stadium,
Sometimes you have to admit your ignorance. For example, we do not know whether Michel Blanc’s popularity crossed the Channel and the Rhine. And we therefore cannot say whether the Reds and their German coach Jürgen Klopp understood the reference from Indians Tolosa on Thursday evening, just before the kick-off of the Europa League match at the Stadium. The TFC echoes showed Jean-Claude Dusse’s gigantic portrait flanked by one of the favorite replicas of the antihero Tanned people go skiing : “It can work in case of a misunderstanding. »
On the other hand, we are sure of one thing: Carles Martinez Novell’s hopes have come true. The Spanish technician announced on Wednesday: “Liverpool must not forget the stadium. » And indeed, the third in the Premier League do not intend to forget their experience in the den of the 14th in Ligue 1, which remained at three defeats, the last Sunday at home against Le Havre, direct competitor for maintenance ( 1- 2).
Were the English surprised by the enthusiasm of the 2,400 Toulouse supporters who had gathered at Anfield two weeks earlier, despite the thrashing their favorites had received (5-1)? They must have been amazed by the exceptional support given to the winner of the last Coupe de France on Thursday evening, in a room filled to the heavens (32,026 people, to be precise).
“A historic evening” for the TFC
Since their Brice-Taton substitution, the Indians set the tone from start to finish in an infectious enthusiasm that carried exemplary captain Vincent Sierro and his teammates to the TFC’s greatest European achievement since the antediluvian victory against Diego Maradona’s Naples (1 -0), 37 years ago. “It’s a historic night, for the club, the city, the players,” said Martinez Novell, much more inspired in his coaching than in recent matches.
According to statistics from our partner Sofascore, Liverpool had 71% possession, completed 512 passes compared to Toulouse’s 153 and shot 19 times compared to 11. But the Reds, with a starting team that we would modestly describe as mixed (just like on the way out , which did not stop them from winning with a whistle), fell.
And this is despite Klopp’s attempt to reproduce the ‘bomb squad’ effect off the bench that was so effective among South African rugby players at the last World Cup. However, “Mo” Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Szobozlai, who returned from the dressing room as one and much earlier than expected, at 1-0 for Toulouse, could not prevent the defeat.
Slow on the field for a long time, the spectacle came into harmony with the crowd in the second period, with four goals approved by the Bulgarian referee M. Kabakov. And one last denied the young central defender of the Reds Jarell Quansah after an appeal to VAR, at the very end of extra time (90th + 7), for a handball from Alexis Mac Allister at the start of the action. “This third Liverpool goal ultimately canceled out makes this evening even more epic,” notes Martinez Novell.
A very confusing ending to the match
It started to tremble when the opponent’s luxurious substitute – yet another – Diogo Jota reduced the score to 3-2 on the edge of extra time. “I see the action because I am facing him, I know there is a hand,” adds Frank Magri, author of the 3-1 in the 76th minute, shortly after entering the game. The Cameroonian striker of Tef’ nevertheless admits that he found himself “in doubt” before the delivery, at the end of “a lot of tension” (and a few yellow cards handed out because of the surrounding nervousness).
We don’t know what Mac Allister had to say on the subject, as the 2022 World Champion only stopped at the microphone of a Spanish-speaking journalist (like Darwin Nuñez right in front of him) to talk about… the next Argentina – Uruguay on November 17. It is always better than their colleagues who rushed through the mixed zone to get to their bus as quickly as possible, in the unlikely event that it leaves without them.
A few minutes earlier, Klopp had given his opinion and, without too much surprise, it was different from Toulouse’s. “For me the ball hits my chest, I honestly didn’t see the contact with the arm,” assured the German. Maybe the referee saw an image that I didn’t. There could have been a penalty for us as well. » We don’t really know what move the Reds manager wanted to talk about.
But Klopp still admitted: “We should have been better in place, more aggressive, we have to accept the defeat, it is deserved. » These will be his last words at a press conference, organized in a marquee on the square in front of the stadium, inherited from the recent Rugby World Cup.
The great peak of anger
The one who said the day before that he was “impatient” to see “the exceptional supporters” of the TFC at work, then had only one wish: to leave the place, Toulouse and France, such was the noise of certain purple fans , who were singing outside while banging on the wall of the temporary building, irritated him and covered up his comments.
“Who had the idea to hold the press conference there? ‘ said the German irritated. We would have liked to explain to him that the usual dedicated space in the Stadium was far too cramped compared to the evening media crowd, but we felt that this was not necessarily the time to talk to him about that. Not even to offer him a quiz Tanned people go skiing.