Liverpool U19s lost 1-0 at home to Real Madrid U19s in the UEFA Youth League, with major talents Trey Nyoni and Kieran Morrison plying slightly unusual roles.
Within a couple of minutes of the game beginning, a poor clearance from Kornel Misciur allowed Real Madrid to take an early lead. Daniel Yanez chested down a looped ball upfield and fired home with a well-taken finish that proved to be the game's only goal.
But even with the Spanish side dominating possession, it was only one goal ahead. Liverpool, playing a kind of 4-4-2 system, similar to how the first team set up at Brighton in the Carabao Cup with two false nines, was never able to find a leveler. Rio Ngumoha (left) and Trent Kone-Doherty (right) were out wide with Nyoni and Morrison operating as a front two.
The system meant keeping the ball and sustaining pressure proved tough. Liverpool's players quickly began to get frustrated with some soft decisions going the way of Real Madrid. Misciur's handling of a couple of crosses caused a couple of issues too.
The young Reds did try to play through Real Madrid but couldn't often manage that. Possession was difficult to come by and without a focal point up top, the ball wasn't sticking in the first half.
Misciur made a great save to deny Victor Valdepenas when he went through one-versus-one. Kone-Doherty had earlier been denied by Alvaro Gonzalez in the Real Madrid goal but that was more down to his poor touch than anything else.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot talking with Nyoni during a training session at AXA Training Centre
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot talking with Nyoni during a training session at AXA Training Centre (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool did begin to get to grip with things a bit better in the second half, but Jaime Barroso still managed to head wide from six yards. That could easily have put the game beyond Liverpool just a few minutes after the restart, and the Reds went on to only create couple of clear-cut chances.
At one stage, the goal looked to be opening up for Josh Davidson but he could only pull a short wide, not helped by a slight deflection. In a relatively even contest, Real Madrid looked marginally likelier to make it 2-0 than Liverpool was to equalize.
The top 22 teams after six matches progress, meaning Liverpool — now sitting 20th — can confirm its place in the knockout phase in two weeks against Girona. From there, the young Reds will aim for more glamor matches like these.