Toulouse forward Thijs Dallinga echoes Didier Drogba to continue impressive Europa League run in Liverpool win
Liverpool suffered a first Europa League defeat of this campaign when they fell to a 3-2 loss at Toulouse this evening.
Jurgen Klopp’s men were chasing a fourth consecutive success but instead returned home with further misery on French soil. They’ve now failed to win any of their last five away games against Ligue 1 teams: two draws and three losses.
As expected this was a very much-changed Liverpool starting eleven with Dominik Szoboszlai, Darwin Núñez, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota all coming off the bench. Carles Martínez Novell’s side capitalised despite enjoying less than 30% possession.
Aron Dønnum — the fourth Norwegian to score against Liverpool in major European competition, after Dan Eggen (1995, Brondby), Geir Hasund (1997, Brann), Erling Haaland (2019, FC Red Bull Salzburg) — and Frank Magri scored either side of Dutch marksman Thijs Dallinga who is enjoying a campaign to remember.
It wasn’t long ago that Dallinga was playing in the Netherlands’ second tier and the current path he’s taken isn’t a strange one as compatriots Stijn Spierings and Ibrahim Cissoko are squadmates with Branco van den Boomen, now back at Ajax, another who made the same journey.
Un groupe. Un Stadium. Une ville. Dans l'histoire !#DeboutToujours 😈 pic.twitter.com/yIphxPUPov
— Toulouse FC (@ToulouseFC) November 9, 2023
Dallinga tonight made the fewest touches (24) of those who started for Les Violets but contributed with a goal. He’s now either assisted or scored in Toulouse’s opening four Europa League matches (three goals and one assist).
Furthermore, he became the first player to score home and away against Liverpool in a major European season while playing for a French club since Didier Drogba in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup for Marseille.
Cristian Cásseres inadvertently put the ball into his own net, which halved Toulouse’s lead, before Jota ensured a grandstand finish. Jarell Quansah thought he equalised deep into stoppage time but his effort was chalked off due to a handball in the build-up. In fact, Jota scored in and lost a match for Liverpool for the first time ever, having won 32 and drawn six of the other 38 games he’s netted for the club.
