A raucous 3 February night delivered one of the standout stories of this season’s UEFA Youth League as MŠK Žilina eliminated Liverpool FC with a 2–1 victory to reach the last 16.
Liverpool appeared to be in control early when Kieran Morrison opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a composed finish across goal. But Žilina, backed by a sold-out crowd of around 10,000, refused to be overawed. Their response was calm and assertive, pressing high and growing into the contest, according to the TASR news agency.
Článok pokračuje pod video reklamou
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The equaliser arrived in the 36th minute through Fabian Bzdyl, whose crisp volley from the edge of the box swung momentum firmly towards the Slovak side. After the break, Žilina adjusted intelligently, tightening the midfield and inviting Liverpool forward before striking decisively. František Kóša’s 65th-minute winner, bursting through the centre and finishing with confidence, sealed a famous result.
While the victory sparked celebrations in Slovakia, the reaction in Britain was more muted — though telling in its honesty. On social media, the defeat was met with frustration, with one Reddit user summing it up bluntly as “embarrassing”. Several Liverpool-focused outlets, however, offered a more measured assessment, according to hnonline.sk.
The Liverpool Echo described the result as “disappointing” but highlighted clear structural issues. The absence of first-choice centre-backs Carter Pinnington and Wellity Lucky forced a reshuffled defence, and the makeshift pairing struggled under pressure. The outlet pointed directly to defensive uncertainty for both goals and noted that Žilina’s physical edge caused persistent problems, especially in the middle of the pitch.
This Is Anfield echoed those concerns, pointing to rising anxiety in Liverpool’s back line as the hosts applied sustained pressure. Nervous clearances and a lack of control in midfield allowed Žilina to dictate long spells, particularly after half-time. The injury to captain Amaro Nallo late in the match only compounded a difficult evening.
Perhaps the most succinct verdict came from James Pearce, who wrote on X: “The home side deserved winners — more composed in possession and made far fewer errors.”
James Pearce: FT: Zilina 2 #LFC 1: Liverpool bow out of UEFA Youth League in last 32. Dream start for Page’s side through Morrison’s goal in Slovakia but they didn’t build on it. The home side deserved winners - more composed in possession and made far fewer errors. Bzdyl and Kosa netted.
British reports also paid tribute to the atmosphere in Žilina, describing it as intense and unfamiliar for a youth fixture. While Liverpool’s young players were praised for gaining valuable experience in such conditions, the prevailing conclusion was clear: Žilina were sharper, braver and more cohesive.
Žilina’s academy has a growing reputation for upsetting Europe’s elite, having previously eliminated Sparta Prague, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund in the competition. Their reward for dispatching Liverpool is a last-16 tie against Club Brugge, scheduled for 24 February.
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