Liverpool vs. Augsburg: 2016 Europa League Round of 32, Leg 2 Score, Reaction

James Milner scored the only goal in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Augsburg on Thursday, sending the Reds through to the next round of the UEFA Europa League. The first leg of the tie had finished 0-0.

Milner converted an early penalty, setting the stage for sustained pressure from the hosts, but some wayward finishing saw the visitors cling to a one-goal deficit and a chance of an upset.

Augsburg came close to an equaliser on a handful of occasions late in the match, but the Reds held on for the deserved win.

As shared by the Reds' official Twitter account, manager Jurgen Klopp opted for an attacking starting XI, including Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho:

Augsburg went looking for an early goal and moved the ball around well inside the Liverpool half in the first minutes, but their bid to cause a major shock ran into trouble almost immediately, as Dominik Kohr committed a handball to give away a penalty after just minutes.

Milner slotted the ball into the corner, giving the hosts an early lead and exactly the kind of start they wanted. The Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle doubted whether the ball should have gone on the spot in the first place, however:

The early goal gave Liverpool plenty of momentum, and the Reds pushed forward in search of a second, with Firmino leading the charge. The Brazilian perhaps should have picked out Sturridge instead of wildly blasting a volley into the box, while the latter should have timed his run better when Firmino did spot him minutes later.

Sturridge then found Coutinho, who drew a fine save from Augsburg stopper Marwin Hitz, before Konstantinos Stafylidis put Simon Mignolet to work for the first time.

Hitz continued to be the busier goalkeeper, producing yet another save to deny Firmino after lovely work from Alberto Moreno. Liverpool were in full control, but a dreadful back-pass from Lucas almost gifted the advantage to the visitors, with Mignolet pushing Caiuby wide enough to force him into a difficult angle to finish.

James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo thought the Reds got away with a huge mental mistake:

On the other side of the pitch, Sturridge came close to doubling Liverpool's lead, but his hard shot smashed off the post. That would be the last big chance of the first half, as Liverpool went into half-time with a deserved lead.

The Reds nearly enjoyed a perfect start to the second half, as Coutinho worked the ball to Sturridge, and the England international curled a shot that missed the goal by inches. Joe.co.uk thought Liverpool's lack of finishing could come back to haunt them:

Liverpool continued to look the better side, but the visitors' defence tightened and limited the open looks for Klopp's side, leading to a cagey start to the second half. Things got a little more physical as well, with both teams understanding a single goal could turn the tie on its head.

Sturridge lasted 66 minutes before making his way off the pitch for Divock Origi, as Klopp tried to add some pace to the attack. Unibet couldn't help but crack a joke at the English forward:

Moreno and Mamadou Sakho nearly coughed up the ball after a mix-up, but fortunately for the Reds, they managed to clear their lines just before Tobias Werner could take advantage. Hitz then punched a ball away from the onrushing Firmino in the nick of time, with Origi trying to find the Brazilian in the centre.

Tension remained high, and Augsburg came close to an undeserved equaliser with four minutes left in regulation, as Caiuby's cross was first touched by a visiting player before the Reds managed to clear it out of the box. 

Bleacher Report UK felt the tension as well:

Stafylidis fired a free-kick just over Mignolet's goal, their best chance at a late winner, as Liverpool's defence came through when it was needed the most. The Reds clung to their one-goal lead, advancing to the next round of the Europa League in the process.

Liverpool will return to the pitch on Sunday to face Premier League rivals Manchester City in the final of the Capital One Cup, while Augsburg will play host to Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga.

Post-Match Reaction

Per Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo, Klopp didn't doubt his team deserved the win, despite Augsburg's late pressure: “It was a really good game and our win was absolutely deserved – everybody who saw the game would have to say we deserved to win."

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