By Adegboyega Adeleye

Alexis Mac Allister and Kevin Mac Allister have relished the experience of facing each other in the Europa League on Thursday night, as Liverpool won 2-0 against Union Saint-Gilloise at Anfield.

Kevin and Alexis Mac Allister played against each other for the first time as professionals.

The brothers celebrated the historic event in their family history with their father.

The Mac Allister brothers were happy for their father Carlos after Liverpool’s Europa League win against Union SG.

“Today my dad was here, but I am sure everybody in our family was watching the TV, so it was special,” Alexis said.

“My dad played and knows what it means to play your brother as my uncle was too. I guess he cried a little bit.”

Liverpool midfielder Alexis came on at half-time, which meant he faced his brother Kevin, who started the match as a defender for Union SG, for the first time in his career.

Speaking to Liverpool’s website, the brothers explained their journey into football: “We’ve got great memories of playing football as kids and how special it was to be playing together. I think it was important for our development too,” said Alexis.

Kevin revealed what he said to Alexis when he signed for Liverpool: “The most important thing is to always enjoy it. I think Liverpool is a nice place to improve for Alexis. He’s in one of the best teams in the world, I think, in history. I’m very proud of him and I really enjoy it when he plays for Liverpool.”

Alexis on the moment he found out Liverpool would be playing Union Saint-Gilloise said: “I remember one of the guys from the staff told me that we were in the same group and I couldn’t believe it. So yes, it was pretty special for me.”

Kevin added: “We [the team] were on the plane and the pilot said that we were going to play against LASK, then Toulouse, and then he made a little pause. I remember thinking that we can’t be playing against Liverpool, but then he said Liverpool.

”For me, being able to play against my brother was really special. If the coach puts me in the XI, playing at one of the best stadiums in history and listening to ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ will be incredible.”

However, Liverpool midfielder Alexis had some fighting talk for his brother: “Hopefully you don’t enjoy it. I want you to suffer and hopefully you will not want to play us again. I’ve been at Anfield as a Liverpool player and as an away player, and I can tell you as an away player you’ll feel the stadium and the crowd.”