Analysis of Liverpool Under-19s 3=1 defeat to RB Leipzig in the UEFA Youth League on Wednesday
Liverpool’s Under-19s were beaten 3-1 by RB Leipzig at Stadion am Cottaweg on Wednesday in the UEFA Youth League. It leaves Barry Lewtas’s side on four points but they remain in a play-off position at the halfway point of the group phase.
Kieran Morrison scored a consolation at 3-0 but the Reds were unable to take a handful of chances that presented themselves in the latter stages as they suffered their first defeat of the competition. As ever, the ECHO was at the game to run the rule over proceedings.
Misciur progress continues
One of the themes of the early months of Liverpool’s season so far has been backup goalkeepers taking their chances.
READ MORE: Darwin Nunez hints at what’s next for Liverpool after bizarre incident transformed at Red Bull Arena
First it was Caoimhin Kelleher in the absence of Alisson Becker, against West Ham United and Bournemouth at Anfield, before Vitezslav Jaros made his senior and Premier League debut against Crystal Palace off the bench before the international break.
Kelleher is now set to deputise for Alisson in the coming weeks once more after the Brazilian international picked up a hamstring injury and fresh from signing his new contract, Kornel Misciur continued his own development by turning in an eye-catching performance here.
Now in goal in this competition due to Harvey Davies being too old, the 17-year-old, who joined from Hull City last year, made a handful of saves that kept the score down as Leipzig got firmly on top. One stop with his foot in the first half kept it goalless and there was little the teenager could do about any of the goals.
One lapse saw him almost lobbed by Viggo Gebel but saw his blushes spared when the effort dropped just wide. Aside from that blip, Misciur can be generally pleased with how he performed here and his season in more general terms.
Now in possession of a first professional contract, this was a decent way to build on it from a personal perspective, even if the result did not go Liverpool’s way.
Nyoni and Ngumoha miss out
Liverpool were without two of their most exciting talents in Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha for this one, with the latter involved at first-team level in the Champions League later that evening.
Ngumoha, a summer signing from Chelsea, is away with England as he continues his own development at national level and he is one of the youngest in the group that will turn out for Liverpool in this competition.
Nyoni captained the side in the first game at AC Milan last month as the Reds held out for a goalless draw, while Ngumoha was given his first few minutes towards the end of that game.
The absence of both left the Reds without a spark in the final third and control in the middle of the park at times, but U21s boss Barry Lewtas refused to use the inability to field either as an excuse after the game.
“I don’t want to say no [we didn’t miss them] because that’s what you’ll write but you don’t want to make excuses,” Lewtas said. “The players who are here and the players who are here and play. And who is to say it would have been any different had those two played?
“The focus is always on the lads who get the opportunity and I think in the end we’ve created enough in the end to come away with something, even without those two guys. So, yeah, in both boxes it was disappointing today.
“I’ve done this competition plenty of times and you don’t win every game, so losing is part of it. We played a good team today. We know we can do better but it is what it is, we’ve got some games coming up and we’ve just got to try and win them all, taking it all as it comes, and see where it takes us. I think when you do lose, it puts a bit more pressure on the boys and I think that is a good experience too.”
Lewtas reaction
Speaking to the ECHO after the game, Lewtas said: “We didn’t play as well as we have liked to but you have to give credit to them, they are a good team. The disappointing thing is in the past when we’ve not been at our best, we’ve managed to stay in games and that was the message in there (dressing room) really.
“We could have kept it at one or two, it might have been a different game. And that was the disappointing thing for us. We just sort of lost our way when we conceded the second. We weren’t tough enough in some moments.
“Listen, I think every game [is a scalp]. I don’t think they’ve won a game in this competition so fair play to them, they jumped on our insecurities a little bit and they were much more physical, you can see that and that is what it is. The momentum we lost with throw-ins and corners at times was tough and it was tough at times.
“I thought Ranel Young was excellent today, he was a real threat, he held the ball up, he ran in behind and I know he got booked [for a dive] was it or not? But he was in and around there. He was the one who went through when they got their player sent off and I thought he was the one who kind played throughout the game and he offered us a lot.
“Trent (Kone-Doherty) is always a threat when the game opens and he is excellent in transition and that is what we expected when they tired, we thought we could take advantage a bit but with Kieran, Trent and Ranel, it just wasn’t the case today.”
