Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp reiterated his support for Luis Diaz after the forward scored a stoppage-time equaliser which snatched a 1-1 draw at Luton.
Diaz missed Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend after returning to Colombia following news that his parents had been kidnapped, but he returned to training this week and came off the bench to earn the Reds a point at Kenilworth Road.
The forward’s mother has been released but he is still waiting for news on his father. After scoring, Diaz lifted up his shirt to reveal a white T-shirt which read ‘libertad para papa’ – ‘freedom for my father’.
Liverpool boss Klopp lauded the player after his header looped over Hatters goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski to cancel out Tahith Chong’s earlier strike.
“It’s wonderful, it’s emotional and it’s fantastic,” Klopp said.
“We wanted to give him the chance to be a little bit distracted from things. He cannot do anything, he’s waiting all the time and so he trained a few times and he was in a good mood, which is good.
“The signs from Colombia are positive and optimistic but not the one thing we want to hear.
“He brings the quality with the 15-20 minutes he played.
“I think not many people (can) imagine what he has going on now – even us, we are close to him of course, we are supporting him, we feel his pain, but for him it is a different level.
“Football sometimes in dark moments can bring joy to people, can bring joy to somebody who is struggling, and I think football is bringing a slice of joy to him at this time.
“We are together with him, for whatever he needs. He came, trained, came to the game, scored a fantastic goal for us that was really important and we are with him 100 per cent.”
The hosts stifled Liverpool in the first half.
And German boss Klopp highlighted his frustration with a lack of counter-pressing which he felt was “personal”.
He added: “What I didn’t like was that in the first half we had no counter-pressing.
“That’s something I take personally and I’ve told the boys that’s really not OK.
“I told them at half-time to be patient and that if they could add counter-pressing into the play then that would be really helpful.”
Luton almost played the perfect game, only to concede late on.
And manager Rob Edwards felt pride at full-time after his team’s efforts gave them an important point in their survival bid.
“My overriding feeling is pride,” Edwards said. “Of course we wanted to win the game but maybe they would have felt hard done by if we had won that.
“We had a plan and the players committed to it and we got close. The feeling is pride.
“The players gave everything.”
Bologna 3-3 Juventus: Bianconeri hit back in Motta's job interview
Juventus scored three goals in eight minutes to complete a remarkable comeback and secure a 3-3 draw against Serie A's surprise package Bologna on Monday.
The Bianconeri, who sacked Massimiliano Allegri last week, endured a nightmare start as Riccardo Calafiori and Santiago Castro propelled hosts Bologna into a 2-0 lead within 11 minutes.
Matters got worse for Bianconeri interim boss Paolo Montero when Calafiori struck again eight minutes into the second half to put Bologna, coached by reported Juve target Thiago Motta, into a 3-0 lead, with the defender chipping the ball over goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Yet Federico Chiesa's 76th-minute effort kickstarted a stunning turnaround, with Arkadiusz Milik's free-kick soon after teeing up a grandstand finale.
Kenan Yildiz was the player who sealed the draw, as Juve hit back against their potential next coach.
The result left third-placed Bologna level on 68 points with Juve in fourth before the final matchday.
Data Debrief: Three down? No problems
For the first time in their history, Juve avoided defeat in a Serie A game in which they had been at least three goals behind.
Chiesa was key to their comeback. Bologna are the team that the Italy international has scored the most league goals against in his career (seven in 11 matches).
Liverpool offer 'difficult to ignore', says Klopp's replacement Slot
Arne Slot said it was "not an easy decision" to leave Feyenoord, but ultimately he could not turn down the Liverpool job.
Liverpool finally confirmed Slot as Jurgen Klopp's successor on Monday.
Klopp signed off on his nine-year tenure in charge of Liverpool with a 2-0 win over Wolves on Sunday.
The German started an "Arne Slot" chant during his leaving speech at Anfield, and a day later, the Reds officially announced the 45-year-old Dutchman's appointment, subject to a work permit.
Slot led Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title during his time in charge, as well as the KNVB Beker, while they also reached the Europa Conference League final in 2022.
Speaking to Feyenoord's official website, Slot said: "It is certainly not an easy decision to close the door behind you at a club where you have experienced so many wonderful moments and worked successfully with so many wonderful people.
"But as a sportsman, an opportunity to become a head coach in the Premier League, at one of the biggest clubs in the world, is difficult to ignore.
"At the same time, we understand very well that working at a club like Liverpool is a special and unique opportunity for him. With that in mind, we started the conversation to see if we could find a solution together, and in the end we succeeded."
Feyenoord beat Excelsior in Feyenoord's final match in charge on Sunday.
Hojlund form gives Man Utd 'luxury problem' for FA Cup final, says Ten Hag
Rasmus Hojlund's return to form presents a "luxury problem" for Manchester United ahead of this weekend's FA Cup final against Manchester City, says Erik ten Hag.
Hojlund came off the bench to score United's second goal as they rounded off their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday, having also netted in last week's 3-2 victory over Newcastle United.
He finished his debut Premier League season with 10 goals, becoming the youngest player to reach double figures in 2023-24 (21 years, 105 days old as of Sunday).
Hojlund has battled injury problems and dips in form throughout the campaign, and in his absence, Ten Hag has often opted to deploy Bruno Fernandes as a false nine.
The Portugal international started United's last two matches in that position, and Ten Hag says he has plenty to think about as he prepares to name his cup final lineup.
"It is not a dilemma, it is a luxury problem," Ten Hag said.
"I think both formations can be a success because, as you know, we can play with the set-up from the Etihad, where we were a threat with Bruno's movement in behind.
"With Rasmus Hojlund in behind and in form, it is absolutely something we have to consider.
"Let's have a thought, but let's not say we only need 11 players. In a tough final, you need a bench as well."
Hojlund failed to score in his first 15 Premier League matches before ending his drought against Aston Villa on Boxing Day, though he did score five times in United's unsuccessful Champions League campaign before Christmas.
He has 16 goals across all competitions this term, which Ten Hag sees as a good effort when taking his fitness problems into account.
"It could always be better, but don't forget he had three injuries this season," Ten Hag said.
"He came in with an injury and missed the start, then he got injured before winter, and then got another injury after winter.
"Every time that has broken his rhythm. If you score 16 goals for a first season, it is okay, and remember it is also not over. We have the final too."
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