Liverpool U19s are in UEFA Youth League action in Slovakia this afternoon when they take on MSK Zilina in the round of 32
Trent Kone-Doherty of Liverpool U19s warms up with team-mates
Trent Kone-Doherty of Liverpool U19s warms up with team-mates(Image: Annabel Lee-Ellis/Getty Images)
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The senior team may have booked themselves a place in the last 16 of the Champions League. But Liverpool's next generation still have a bit of work to follow suit in Europe.
An under-19 side helmed by Rob Page are in Slovakia this afternoon to take on MSK Zilina in their UEFA Youth League round of 32 clash (kick-off 3.30pm).
The young Reds can expect a hostile reception with a sell-out crowd of more than 10,000 anticipated at the Stadion pod Dubnom - which is the home of the Zilina first team - for a clash that has captured the imagination of the country's fourth-largest city.
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While Liverpool booked their place in the knockout stages by finishing 16th in the UEFA Youth League table - beating Galatasaray, Eintracht Frankfurt and PSV Eindhoven while drawing with Atletico Madrid and losing heavily to Real Madrid and Inter Milan - Zilina qualified via the domestic champions path, beating Shelbourne and Red Star Belgrade on penalties after two-legged ties.
Games from this point onward in the competition, though, are one-off matches, meaning Liverpool will have to win an away knockout match in the competition for the first time if they are to maintain hope of at least matching their previous best UEFA Youth League performance of a quarter-final place.
Trent Kone-Doherty, the 19-year-old winger featuring in the tournament for a third time, was Liverpool's top scorer during the opening stage with three while 18-year-old Josh Sonni-Lambie notched twice.
The U19s squad flew out on Monday morning in preparation for the game with key defender Wellity Lucky still absent after a hamstring injury. And Page is braced for a tough encounter.
"For the U19s to have over 10,000 fans present, that is incredible," he said. "So it will be hostile and also a difficult place to go to but we will relish it. We will have them prepared and be ready to go.
"For us, to get to this stage of the tournament is a credit to what the lads have done so far. We've had a different team quite a few times as well in this competition."
Kieran Morrison, who like Kone-Doherty has featured for Arne Slot's senior side this season, has been one of the star performers for Liverpool in the competition and goes into the game having scored successive winners in Premier League 2.
Both the U18s and U21s have won all four competitive games played since the New Year although an U19 side was beaten 2-0 at Marseille last month in preparation for the trip to Zilina.
"The boys are in a good place," added Page, speaking to liverpoolfc.com. "We had a good test when we played the friendly away in Marseille and from a physicality point of view I think this is what we are going to face in Zilina.
"It was more like a proper game of football as opposed to just having a training session here and it was very worthwhile."
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