Trey Nyoni stands out as Liverpool gets something to smile about in Istanbul

Liverpool's U19 team secured its first victory of this season's UEFA Youth League, defeating Galatasaray 2-0 in Istanbul on Tuesday.

The young Reds took the lead within the first minute as Kareem Ahmed expertly slotted one into the bottom corner with the game's opening attack. The goal was officially clocked at 58 seconds, marking Rob Page's side's first score in this season's Youth League following a goalless draw against Atletico Madrid earlier this month.

Wellity Lucky nearly doubled Liverpool's advantage with a close-range header shortly after Trent Kone-Doherty was thwarted by an excellent challenge. Joe Bradshaw then powerfully struck home Ahmed's pass, only for the offside flag to be swiftly raised.

Josh Sonni-Lambie extended the Reds' lead, reflecting their dominance when he scored on his second attempt after his initial header from Kone-Doherty's cross. The striker then sent a header across the goal frame as the Reds continued to apply pressure before half-time.

Liverpool resumed its dominance after the break and almost made it 3-0 when Emmanuel Airoboma was twice denied from close range before Kone-Doherty's effort was smothered by goalkeeper Enes Buyuk.

Galatasaray was reduced to 10 players in the final moments when Yasin Kasal made a late challenge on impressive substitute Tyler Martin. Here are three talking points from the game...

Nyoni demonstrates his quality

It's now been 12 months since Trey Nyoni first donned the Liverpool captain's armband in this tournament, during a scoreless stalemate at AC Milan's House of Puma facility.

In the time that has followed, the ex-Leicester City prospect has emerged on the periphery of the senior squad under Arne Slot and featured in the starting XI for the 2-1 triumph against Southampton in the Carabao Cup the previous week, lining up alongside the more seasoned duo of Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo.

Anyone with even a casual interest would have recognized that Nyoni possesses the greatest experience of featuring with the first-team group. The captain proved to be the standout performer on the pitch, controlling proceedings at either end as the away team swept to a comfortable victory. "He was outstanding," came Page's verdict after the final whistle.

His exquisite first touch to bamboozle a Galatasaray midfielder established the standard for what followed, while one delightful threaded pass to the feet of scorer Kareem Ahmed helped Liverpool seize the initiative during what proved a commanding showing from Page's charges.

Consistently available as an option for his colleagues, Nyoni was frequently observed collecting possession within his own penalty box, relying on his technical ability and composure to maintain possession in dangerous areas where the instinct might be to simply hoof clear.

Some superb defensive work beyond the hour prevented a threatening Galatasaray counter-attack within Liverpool's area following a perfectly weighted through ball that nearly released Trent Kone-Doherty. Nyoni was the master of the midfield in this match.

With a game against Crystal Palace at Anfield on the horizon next month, the young player can anticipate more involvement with the senior team if he maintains his current form.

Ahmed's flying start

The handful of spectators who had come to watch this match had barely settled into their seats when Liverpool netted the opening goal. Clocking in at 58 seconds, it was Kareem Ahmed who got the Reds off to a flying start with a clever finish into the bottom corner, setting the tone for the rest of the match.

Ahmed was able to orchestrate the game alongside his deeper-lying midfield partner Nyoni, and the duo combined several times, especially in the first half. Ahmed was encouraged to play on the half-turn in an attempt to penetrate Gala's defence.

After scoring the opener, Ahmed's through ball to Joe Bradshaw nearly resulted in a second goal, but the confident finish was disallowed for offside. The No. 10 continued to show creativity in the second half as Page's side kept up the pressure on their hosts in pursuit of a third goal.

Ahmed was eventually substituted in the second half, but he can be immensely proud of his performance. Like many of his teammates, he was outstanding in Istanbul.

Kone-Doherty shines

While there is currently a buzz around senior-level player Rio Ngumoha at Liverpool, this was a standout performance from another left-sided attacking prospect, Trent Kone-Doherty. The young Irishman has been operating at this standard for the past few years and has consistently posed a threat in wide positions, but this was undoubtedly one of his finest displays in this tournament.

Kone-Doherty proved a persistent danger down the left flank with his direct approach and constant readiness to challenge his marker. One perfectly weighted pass to substitute Oliver O'Connor had Page in raptures, with the manager overheard exclaiming: "Oh what a pass that is!"

It was Kone-Doherty's delivery that created the second goal after Josh Sonni-Lambie's header had been kept out, allowing him a simple finish from the rebound, and the winger nearly found the net himself just before half-time with a low effort. Excellent shot-stopping after the interval denied him from a narrow angle after he had once again weaved past a defender, and the only element absent from his comprehensive showing was finding the back of the net.

Ngumoha is anticipated to feature if Slot rotates his squad for that fixture against Palace in the Carabao Cup, but this was the type of exhibition that could prompt the head coach and his team to consider a potential place in the matchday squad should they require alternative attacking possibilities on the evening.