A youthful Liverpool side lost 2-1 at Union Saint-Gilloise in their final Europa League group game on Thursday, while Villarreal snatched a place in the last 16 from Rennes with a dramatic victory in France.
Elsewhere, Azeri club Qarabag reached the knock-out play-off round and Slavia Prague finished top of Group G ahead of last season’s runners-up Roma.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp rang the changes with his team already secure as Group E winners and with an eye on the weekend’s Premier League game against rivals Manchester United, starting six players aged 20 or younger.
Saint-Gilloise, who needed a victory to keep alive their hopes of pipping Toulouse to second place, took the lead through Mohamed Amoura before Jarell Quansah hit back for Liverpool.
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