Diaz saves Klopp's Liverpool in the last minute
The emotionally burdened Luis Diaz saved Liverpool FC from embarrassment with a late header against Luton Town and dedicated the goal to his kidnapped father to make the final score 1:1 (0:0). While celebrating, he pulled up his shirt and presented a shirt with the Spanish words: "Libertad para papa".
Last weekend, Diaz's parents were abducted at a petrol station in their home town of Barrancas in northern Colombia. While the national player's mother was freed on the same day, his kidnapped father is apparently in the hands of the guerrilla group ELN.
In his first match since the kidnapping, Diaz initially had to watch from the bench and saw his team often lacking in ideas and inaccurate. In the 71st minute, Darwin Nunez missed miserably for LFC from close range. Luton were brave and kept up well. In the 80th minute, Tahith Chong scored after a great counter-attack and sent Kenilworth Road into ecstasy. Late in stoppage time, substitute Diaz (83) equalized with a header and secured a point for coach Jürgen Klopp's team.
In Sunday's second game, Nottingham Forest beat Aston Villa 2-0 to move up to twelfth place for the time being. Ola Aina and ex-Stuttgart professional Orel Mangala scored for Nottingham. Aston Villa missed the opportunity to jump into the top three and are stuck in fifth place.
Diaz's late-minute header against Luton Town not only saved Liverpool FC from defeat but also held significant emotional meaning, as it was dedicated to his kidnapped father. During the match, Darwin Nunez missed a promising opportunity for Liverpool in the 71st minute, making it crucial for Diaz to step up and score the equalizer in the 83rd minute.
Source: www.ntv.de
