Team news
Kerkez and Salah were joined in Liverpool’s starting XI by Conor Bradley as Arne Slot made three changes from the midweek win at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez (Robertson, 61), Wirtz (Gomez, 83), Szoboszlai, Salah, Bradley (Mac Allister, 61), Jones (Ngumoha, 70), Gakpo (Chiesa, 61), Ekitike.
Unused subs: Woodman, Endo, Nyoni, Morrison.
First half
Long-throws are a specialty of Michael Kayode and, five minutes in, Brentford profited as his delivery was flicked on and Ouattara was on hand to volley home at the back post.
Salah’s touch was heavy after he’d been found by Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz then drilled a left-footed shot narrowly wide at the end of a lengthy spell of Liverpool possession.
The visitors were improving and Ekitike glanced Gakpo’s cross wide before the Dutchman cut inside and curled off target.
But the equaliser didn’t arrive in that spell and Brentford, who had defended well in their low block, were able to regain a measure of control.
Former Reds captain Jordan Henderson saw a low attempt from range go wide and, after a succession of deliveries into his penalty area, Giorgi Mamardashvili tipped a rising Mikkel Damsgaard drive over the crossbar.
A key passage of play followed as huge Liverpool appeals for a penalty when Gakpo went down under a challenge were dismissed shortly before the hosts made it 2-0 as Damsgaard sprung Schade in behind the Reds’ backline and the forward finished.
There was, though, still time for Slot’s side to halve the deficit, which they did in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Conor Bradley’s cross, sent in hard and low, was converted by his opposite full-back Kerkez from close range.
