Liverpool’s progression to the Champions League knockout stages may not yet be guaranteed, but their situation is far less tense than the drama faced by the Academy side on Tuesday afternoon.
With under 10 minutes remaining in their final UEFA Youth League group-stage match against Girona, Liverpool’s under-19s, down to 10 men after Ranel Young’s first-half red card, trailed 2-1 and were on the verge of elimination.
However, a stunning late equalizer from Trent Kone-Doherty secured a vital point, keeping Barry Lewtas’s team in contention for a spot in the top 22 of the 36-team tournament and a place in the last 32.
Their fate, though, depended on other results. A few hours later, Liverpool’s qualification was confirmed when Paris Saint-Germain and Bayer Leverkusen both failed to win.
“I’m delighted we’ve progressed,” said Lewtas. “We started brilliantly against Girona. Playing away in Europe is tough, but we moved the ball well and deserved to take the lead.
The red card was disappointing, but I was pleased with how we responded. Trent’s goal was excellent, and despite Girona’s pressure in the second half, I think we deserved the result with 10 men.”
Young’s dismissal, which came just six minutes after Jayden Danns had given Liverpool the lead with a penalty, was a point of frustration for Lewtas.
“It’s disappointing because Girona didn’t receive a single yellow card,” he noted. “For us to get a red was tough, but decisions are part of the game.
We had to find a way to get a result against a strong team that hadn’t lost a game. The character we showed was fantastic.”
Liverpool finished the group stage with eight points, earning wins at home against Bologna and Bayer Leverkusen, drawing away at AC Milan, and suffering defeats at RB Leipzig and at home to Real Madrid.
Their 19th-place finish means they will face a challenging tie in the knockout stages, as the first round pairs teams ranked 17th to 22nd with those in the top six. Despite the difficult road ahead, Lewtas is optimistic about his team’s performance.
“We’ve faced six tough challenges and played six good games,” he said. “The quality in this competition has been very high.
The loss in Leipzig was fair, but it was frustrating not to get anything from the Real Madrid game, where we conceded early and missed chances. Overall, our performances have been strong, but even small mistakes at this level can be costly.”
