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Liverpool's U19s team suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in its UEFA Youth League match on Tuesday.
The Reds, who had been unbeaten in the competition until now, were outplayed at home with goals from Jacobo Ortega, Adrian Perez, substitute Jaime Barroso, and Diego Aguado. The game was played just hours before the first team defeated Madrid 1-0 at Anfield thanks to Alexis Mac Allister's second-half goal.
Despite having netted seven times in their previous two matches, Rob Page's players found it challenging to create significant chances against the Spanish team. Goalkeeper Bailey Hall's commendable saves prevented an even more substantial loss for the team.
The defeat leaves the Reds with seven points from four games, but they remain within the top 22 of the 36-team league. They are still in contention for qualification to the knockout stages, with a home game against PSV Eindhoven and a trip to Inter Milan left in the opening stage.
Here are three talking points from Tuesday's game...
Attackers struggle
The attacking line-up struggled to make an impact during the match. This was evident just a week after Liverpool's remarkable 5-4 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the previous UEFA Youth League matchday. Tuesday's match attracted nearly 70 scouts, filling the stand at the Academy to capacity, reflecting the wealth of talent displayed by both teams.
Page was able to field the same starting XI as he did in Germany two weeks ago. Trent Kone-Doherty, Liverpool's most dynamic attacker during a challenging first half, was clearly identified as a major threat by Real, as evidenced by the collective cheer whenever right-back Javi Bailon won a tackle.
Kieran Morrison didn't start making an impact until just before half-time and was effectively contained throughout the match. Both central striker Keyrol Figueroa and No. 10 Josh Sonni-Lambie struggled, with the latter being substituted before the 60-minute mark.
Nyoni's difficult game
Trey Nyoni has had a difficult week, despite his impressive progress in recent months. After a subpar performance in his eighth senior appearance against Palace last week, some of the less patient Anfield crowd members expressed their dissatisfaction with his indecisive second-half display.
Despite this, Nyoni continued to captain the team and consistently sought possession in midfield. However, his lax passing led to two opportunities for Madrid in the first half, the second of which Ortega squandered by hitting the crossbar when he had a clear shot at goal.
In contrast, Nyoni's midfield partner, 17-year-old Joe Upton, was one of the few Liverpool players who showed a willingness to both engage with the visitors and use possession wisely. Prince Cisse continued to show progress in his right-back position, and despite conceding three goals, goalkeeper Hall couldn't be blamed.
Liverpool needs to learn
One of the enduring benefits of the UEFA Youth League is the chance to compete against international teams with varying tactics and strategies. Despite Real's superior physicality, the visiting team didn't shy away from relieving pressure in the early stages by taking a tumble when coming into contact with Liverpool players. Referee Bastien Dechepy had seen enough when Ortega was booked for simulation with Cisse nearby.
Real's players also weren't deterred from committing the occasional strategic foul, such as when Pol Duran blatantly pulled back Morrison near the halfway line in the second half.
However, Ortega had already inflicted damage on Liverpool by scoring the opening goal at 14 minutes, converting a low cross from the left by Liberto Navascues. Perez then doubled the lead just three minutes after half-time, connecting with Diego Aguado's low corner from the left wing.
Barroso added another goal with 14 minutes left, set up by fellow substitute Daniel Yanez on the counter-attack, and Aguado scored in the second minute of injury time.
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