Luis Diaz ended a traumatic week by coming off the bench to save Liverpool from a shock defeat at Luton with a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw.
Substitute Tahith Chong looked to have secured a sensational Hatters win when he finished off a superb break to slot past Alisson 10 minutes from time.
On their first league visit in more than 30 years, Liverpool appeared rocked by a raucous atmosphere inside Kenilworth Road and were never at their free-flowing best against a side that dug in, ground out and waited for their chance.
And Chong’s goal looked to have been decisive until Diaz, who came off the bench seven minutes from the end for his first appearance since his father was kidnapped in Colombia, got his head on Harvey Elliott’s cross five minutes into added time to deny Luton a famous win.
Diaz lifted his shirt in celebration to reveal a message on a white T-shirt that read ‘libertad para papa’ or ‘freedom for my father’.
Liverpool sought the victory that would move them second in the table, but the first half was a test of their patience as Luton executed an organised, determined plan to stymy their attacking advances.
Darwin Nunez tested the reflexes of goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski early on, striking from outside the box and drawing a diving save from the Luton goalkeeper low to his left.
Nunez went closer still when his first-time effort struck the top of the crossbar from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb pass from deep in midfield.
Mohamed Salah sliced an effort over after Luton failed to clear Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick, but on the whole the hosts contained Liverpool well during the opening 25 minutes.
Ryan Gravenberch looked to inject urgency into a ponderous attacking display with a bursting run through the centre, laying the ball off to Diogo Jota who had made a smart run, but after an intelligent dash into space his shot was too close to Kaminski.
From the resulting corner, Alexander-Arnold hit a first-time drive that was blocked inside a crowded penalty area, encapsulating Liverpool’s half.
At the other end, Alfie Doughty and Chiedozie Ogbene linked up well down the left and worked the ball into the middle where Ross Barkley had found space. Unmarked and with a free hit at goal, the former Everton midfielder thumped his 20-yard effort over the bar as Luton’s best opening of the half came and went.
The second half brought with it a growing sense that a single goal might decide things, and Edwards’ side were credible candidates.
In the 63rd minute, Ogbene, a thorn in Liverpool’s right-hand side throughout, raced away from Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate and cut the ball back for Carlton Morris.
It looked for a moment like his contact would be sufficient to beat Alisson, but Liverpool’s goalkeeper had narrowed the angle between Morris and the goal, and the ball spun to safety.
Salah and Nunez conspired between them to miss the game’s best chance so far with 20 minutes to go.
The Egyptian was left unmarked six yards out and nodded towards his team-mate despite Kaminski being exposed. Nunez had time and space but not the composure required to crack the game open, and he ballooned horribly over.
Yet Liverpool’s threat was undoubtedly growing. Nunez made a better job of his next chance, hammering towards the near post from Salah’s pass but again Kaminski was his equal to fist it over the top.
With 10 minutes to go the moment for which home fans had patiently waited arrived, and it began with Liverpool on the attack.
It was Barkley that collected the ball as a corner routine for the visitors broke down, carrying it up over the halfway line with Liverpool committed and pushing it wide on the right into the path of Issa Kabore.
His low cross into the box landed perfectly for Chong who did not even break stride as he guided the ball with consummate cool past Alisson to send a shockwave of noise around Kenilworth Road.
It was all Liverpool after that and they snatched an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Elliott’s ball into the box was delivered well, and as Luton lost concentration there was Diaz to nod home and rescue his side.
Olympiacos 2-0 Aston Villa (6-2 agg): Villans fall in last four as El Kaabi strikes again
Olympiacos will face Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final after an Ayoub El Kaabi double secured a 6-2 aggregate win over Aston Villa.
After a stunning 4-2 win at Villa Park last weekend to take the ascendancy in the semi-final tie, first-leg hat-trick hero El Kaabi struck early before netting again late on to stamp out any hopes of a Villa comeback.
After a strong start from the visitors, El Kaabi scored his fourth goal of the tie just 10 minutes into Thursday's second leg at Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki, getting on the end of Quini's low cross to turn home at the far post.
It looked an uphill battle for Villa, who dominated the possession throughout the contest in Greece but struggled to make a dent in the stubborn hosts.
Douglas Luiz saw a long-range effort saved by Kostas Tzolakis while the Olympiacos goalkeeper also denied Moussa Diaby. El Kaabi made sure late on, getting on the end of a long ball to fire past Martinez and secure Olympiacos' final berth.
The fairytale comeback never materialised for Villa, and it will be Olympiacos who take on Fiorentina at the Agia Sophia Stadium in the Greek capital of Athens on May 29, looking to utilise familiar surroundings to claim their first major European trophy.
Data debrief
El Kaabi was the hero again for Olympiacos as his two second-leg finishes took him to 10 Europa Conference League goals for the campaign, more than any other player, while his 13 strikes in major European competitions are also more than any other player when factoring in his three Europa League goals.
Villa had 73.9 per cent of the ball in the second leg, yet their 1.14 xG (expected goals) was still inferior to Olympiacos' 1.23 as the Greek Super League side's ruthlessness clinched their spot in the final.
Charlotte FC v Nashville: Smith looking to grow 'belief' following Montreal triumph
Gary Smith believes his Nashville side's thumping of CF Montreal last weekend is a step in the right direction as they look to build their "belief".
The 4-1 victory over Montreal, which saw striker Sam Surridge net a hat-trick, ended a run of five games without a win and moved Nashville up to 12th in the Eastern Conference.
As Nashville look to push further up the table when they travel to Charlotte FC this weekend, Smith is looking for his players to build on the Montreal performance.
"[The Montreal victory was] the first step in a long journey for us to get back to some rhythm, some success, put ourselves back in a position where there’s some belief here again that we can get results," Smith told reporters.
"We've seen we can score goals. I think that belief that we can win games again, this is the first step on that road.”
Charlotte also tasted victory last time out, beating the Portland Timbers 2-0 at home to leave them sixth in the East.
Midfielder Ashley Westwood hopes he and his team-mates can carry on the momentum from that triumph, saying: "It was a complete performance.
"During the game it felt comfortable. We felt like were in control with the ball and without the ball. We need to push on from that now."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Charlotte FC – Nikola Petkovic
Petkovic scored his first goal of the season against Portland, becoming one of 10 different players to score a goal for Charlotte this term, the most of any MLS team. Having netted his first of the campaign, he will be hungry for more this weekend.
Nashville – Hany Mukhtar
Mukhtar has scored four goals in four career regular season matches against Charlotte FC, one of five opponents he's scored at least four times against in his MLS career. Though Surridge got the plaudits last time out, Mukhtar may be the main goal threat against a side he seems to have success against.
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Charlotte have lost only two of their last 24 home matches in all competitions since March last season (13 wins, nine draws). Every MLS team besides Charlotte and the Columbus Crew (one loss) have at least four home losses in that time.
Nashville's 4-1 win over Montreal was just the club’s second win since the beginning of March in all competitions. Nashville's only other win in that time was a victory over Charlotte on March 16.
Charlotte won their first meeting with Nashville, a 4-1 home victory in July 2022. However, Nashville are unbeaten in the three meetings since, and though they are on the road, they may have enough to earn a point this weekend.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Charlotte: 38.1%
Nashville: 32.2%
Draw: 29.7%
Girona boss Michel targeting historic second-place finish in LaLiga
Girona boss Michel has called on his team to end their remarkable season on a high by finishing second in LaLiga, ahead of Friday's trip to Alaves.
Girona fought back to beat Barcelona 4-2 last weekend, a result that left Real Madrid with an unassailable lead in the table as they clinched a record-extending 36th Spanish top-flight title.
It also ensured Girona confirmed Champions League qualification with four games to spare, putting them 13 points clear of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao and taking them above Barca into second.
Girona's previous highest finish in the Spanish top flight is 10th, which they achieved in both 2017-18 and 2022-23, and Michel is now keen to add further gloss to an unforgettable campaign.
"The objective is to be second and we need to win all four games, although we go game by game. Right now the team is above Barca and the objective is this," Michel told reporters on Thursday.
"We are now a rival of Barcelona because they are below us and we have the same objective. But until now we were not.
"If our objective is to compete against Madrid we will always be in a situation where we don't reach our objective and I don't think that's fair because Madrid, Barca and Atletico are made for other things. Now, we have earned the chance to fight against two of them."
The Spaniard said Girona, who will be without striker Cristhian Stuani and midfielders Borja Garcia and Jhon Solis through injury, cannot afford to take their foot off the gas, warning Alaves will pose a threat.
"I expect a very difficult and complicated game, but I don't expect Alaves to be any different to what we've seen all season," Michel said.
"They have a spectacular transition, with players with a lot of speed. They are a very good team with a very good dynamic and very well-worked. That's why we have to be at our best.
"In attack we have to be able to find the space to cause damage. But they are a team that controls very well in defence and they know how to run very well."
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