When Carles Martínez Novell coached his Toulouse side to victory over Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the 2023/24 Europa League, he had been coaching for 23 years – and yet he wasn’t even 40 years old. The Spanish coach had worked his way up the coaching ladder, honing his skills at Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy. He arrived at Toulouse initially as an assistant coach, winning the Coupe de France in 2023. Five months later he was head coach when they faced Liverpool in European competition. In the game at Anfield, his team were given a lesson by Klopp’s high-flyers, who won 5-1. By the time Liverpool travelled to France for the return, they had lost only once in an excellent start to their season. The challenge for Toulouse, even on home turf, was immense. But it was one they rose to, winning 3-2. It marked the first occasion that Liverpool had lost when their striker Diogo Jota scored, ending a run of 38 games without such a defeat. In this exclusive Masterclass, Martínez Novell explains the game plan his team carried out to stunning effect against Liverpool. He discusses their tactics in build-up play against Klopp’s renowned pressing strategy, and how they looked to switch play to exploit space. He also reveals what he learned from the first game against Liverpool, and the mentality that was necessary to compete against elite opponents.