KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 9, 2026: Liverpool players line-up before the UEFA Youth League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC Under-19's and Atlético Madrid Under-19's at the Liverpool Academy. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 9, 2026: Liverpool players line-up before the UEFA Youth League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC Under-19's and Atlético Madrid Under-19's at the Liverpool Academy. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool U19s conceded a late equaliser to Atletico Madrid as the teams drew 2-2 in their opening UEFA Youth League fixture.
UEFA Youth League (1) | Kirkby Academy
September 9, 2026
Goals: Ndiaye 27, Sonni-Lambie 43′; Sanchez 66′, Lis-Zielinski 90′
At just under 15 years and six months old, Luca Eden became the youngest player to ever feature in the UEFA Youth League for Liverpool, breaking the record previously held by Trent Alexander-Arnold, Rio Ngumoha and most recently, Josh Abe.
Coach Rob Page lined the team up in a 4-2-3-1, with Ollie O’Conor on the left, Joe Bradshaw on the right and Josh Sonni-Lambie behind the day’s captain, Will Wright.
Prince Cisse, starting in defence next to Mor Talla Ndiaye, made the first crucial action of the game, brilliantly clearing an Atletico effort brilliantly off the line.
Clinical Liverpool go 2-0 up
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 9, 2026: Liverpool Mor Talla Ndiaye celebrates after scoring the first goal during the UEFA Youth League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC Under-19's and Atlético Madrid Under-19's at the Liverpool Academy. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 9, 2026: Liverpool Mor Talla Ndiaye celebrates after scoring the first goal during the UEFA Youth League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC Under-19's and Atlético Madrid Under-19's at the Liverpool Academy. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
At the other end, Bradshaw produced an excellent piece of individual play to beat two men and shoot from 25 yards on his left foot, only to see his effort strike the goalkeeper’s right-hand post.
Twenty-seven minutes in, Liverpool took the lead as they made the most of a corner, Joe Bradshaw delivering an inswinger that Ndiaye flicked into the far corner with his head.
While the evening’s main event will come at Anfield, the players were still up for this one. Joe Upton was first to go into the book for a forceful challenge on Atletico’s dangerous attacker, Ruben Gomez.
Liverpool’s endeavour paid off for their second goal shortly before half time: after the Reds were twice denied a free-kick, Eden played in Sonni-Lambie to finish excellently on his left across the goalkeeper.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 9, 2026: Liverpool Mor Talla Ndiaye (C) celebrates after scoring the first goal during the UEFA Youth League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC Under-19's and Atlético Madrid Under-19's at the Liverpool Academy. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 9, 2026: Liverpool Mor Talla Ndiaye (C) celebrates after scoring the first goal during the UEFA Youth League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC Under-19's and Atlético Madrid Under-19's at the Liverpool Academy. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
A disciplined second half
Atletico made a triple substitution at the break to try and break the pattern of their attacks breaking down as they entered the final third.
The visitors were further frustrated when Lenix Conde put in a very strong tackle on Taufyk Zanzi, which immediately saw the hosts’ right-back brandished a yellow card and left the Atletico skipper in audible pain.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 9, 2026: Liverpool U19's Josh Sonni-Lambie during the UEFA Youth League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC Under-19's and Atlético Madrid Under-19's at the Liverpool Academy. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 9, 2026: Liverpool U19's Josh Sonni-Lambie during the UEFA Youth League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC Under-19's and Atlético Madrid Under-19's at the Liverpool Academy. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool goalkeeper Bailey Hall was then called into action, saving well with his legs from Alvaro Vega’s effort. He could do nothing, though, to prevent Joel Sanchez’s stunning strike from the edge of the box.
Soon after, the Reds should have had a penalty as O’Connor was hacked and pulled down in the box. However, the referee didn’t see the off-the-ball incident and instead guessed that the Liverpool youngster had been the perpetrator.
With 20 minutes left, Page made a double change to introduce fresh legs, bringing on AJ Yeguo and Haydn Murray-Holme for Conde and Eden. This meant O’Connor went from left-wing to right-back to accommodate Yeguo’s attacking-left berth.
Wearing No. 8, Eden looked by no means out of place against a physical Atletico side, and he continued to show why he has been compared to Steven Gerrard – his running style and ball-striking technique are eerily similar the legend.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 9, 2026: Liverpool U19's Luca Eden during the UEFA Youth League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC Under-19's and Atlético Madrid Under-19's at the Liverpool Academy. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Wednesday, September 9, 2026: Liverpool U19's Luca Eden during the UEFA Youth League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC Under-19's and Atlético Madrid Under-19's at the Liverpool Academy. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Two further changes came as Charlie Huth and Erik Farkas replaced Bradshaw and Sonni-Lambie, respectively.
They couldn’t help to stem Atletico’s attacks, though, and the Reds eventually conceded an equaliser as defender Adrian Lis-Zielinski fired home in the 90th minute.
The Reds came agonisingly close to reclaiming their points in the dying moments, as Farkas’ shot hit the post with almost the last kick of the game.
But the under-19s’ must now wait for October 14, away against LASK, to find their first European win of the campaign.
Liverpool U19s: XI: Hall; Conde (Yeguo 72′), Cisse, Ndiaye (Clarke 90′), Ayman; Upton, Eden (Murray-Holme 72′); O’Connor, Sonni-Lambie (Farkas 81′), Bradshaw (Huth 81′); W. Wright
Subs not used: M. Wright, Clarke, Hickman, Coxon
Barcola Macca
Barcola Macca
original This Is Anfield sign – 01.09.2026
original This Is Anfield sign - 01.09.2026
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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 29, 2026: Liverpool's goalkeeper Alisson Becker and captain Virgil van Dijk protest to referee Samuel Barrett after a penalty is awarded to Nottingham Forest during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Anfield. The game ended in a 2-2 draw. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)