LIVERPOOL will be looking to take out their frustration on Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League as the shockwaves from their controversial defeat at Tottenham continue to reverberate across the English game.
Jurgen Klopp's new-look side suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday night but the winner came in the dying seconds after the Reds had been reduced to nine men and a goal from Luis Diaz had been wrongly ruled out.
The failure of VAR in that Diaz incident has dominated the talk in the build-up to this game and it overshadowed how well Liverpool played after having two players sent off.
Klopp's mean machine is up and running again after last season's disappointment and they look capable of mounting a title challenge with a revamped midfield.
Missing out on Champions League football was a tough one for the Anfield fans but playing in the less pressurised environment of the Europa League gives Klopp the chance to rotate his squad and give exciting youngsters such as Ben Doak a chance to shine.
Liverpool came from behind to beat LASK Linz 3-1 in their group opener, with Mo Salah's late clincher bringing up a bet for our man Mark. Now they host a Union Saint-Gilloise side who are starting to savour European football after a rise to prominence in Belgium.
Last season saw Union grace European football for the first time since 1964 and they ran Rangers close in the Champions League qualifiers before dropping into the Europa League.
The Belgians then won their group on a march to the quarter-finals, where Bayer Leverkusen finally ended their adventure, so Union Saint-Gilloise will be hoping to mount another charge into the knockout stages.
Alexander Blessin's side have a bit of work to do after drawing at home to Toulouse in their group opener but head to Anfield in good form, having won three straight games in the Belgian league to go top of the table.
How the bookies view it
It's no surprise to see Liverpool as heavy favourites and their best price is just 2/9 with BetUK. Union Saint-Gilloise are as big as 14/1 with Paddy Power for a shock Anfield triumph and even the draw pays a hefty 34/5 with VBet.
Head to head
These teams have never faced off before but Liverpool have a great record against Belgian opposition, winning 12 of their 15 games and losing just once.
Players to watch
I'd expect Klopp to make a few changes after that gruelling weekend shift with nine men at Tottenham. Scottish youngster Doak could get another chance to shine on the wing after starting against LASK. He's 3/1 with Unibet for a goal and that could be worth a flutter while the same firm have him at 59/50 just to have a shot on target. That looks a safer option as I'd expect him to get a run-out off the bench at the very least.
Mohammed Amoura looks the best option for a Union Saint-Gilloise goal after netting four times in his last four outings. The Algerian is 8/1 at Unibet for anytime scorer which looks overpriced if Klopp rings a few changes.
Anything else catch the eye?
Liverpool have only kept one clean sheet all season so that makes BTTS a good option for this one and it pays 10/11 with Bet365. Combining that with over 2.5 goals in a bet builder pays 11/10 with the same firm. I also like the look of over 1.5 first half at 11/10 with Paddy Power.
With Klopp playing with such a high line in defence, offside bets always a stand a good chance. Unibet price over 4.5 match offsides at 5/4 while over 2.5 Union offsides pays 6/4 with the same firm.
This UEFA Europa League match between Liverpool and Union Saint-Gilloise will be played on Oct 5, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Liverpool vs Union Saint-Gilloise prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
