Liverpool youngsters suffer harsh lesson as Real Madrid expose shortcomings

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Ian Doyle with the Liverpool U19s analysis after the UEFA Youth League game against Real Madrid at Kirkby on Tuesday afternoonLiverpool suffered their first defeat of the UEFA Youth League campaign when they were well beaten at home by Real Madrid on Tuesday afternoon. Goals early in each half from Jacobo Ortega and Adrian Perez before a strike by substitute Jaime Barroso and another from Diego Aguado saw the Reds' under-19s tumble 4-0 to their Spanish opponents at the Academy in Kirkby.Having scored seven times in their last two games in the competition, Rob Page's side struggled to create meaningful opportunities and were indebted to a string of good saves from goalkeeper Bailey Hall to avoid a heavier loss.The result means Liverpool now have seven points from four games and remain inside the top 22 in the 36-team league - and in line for qualification to the knockout rounds - with a home clash against PSV Eindhoven and a trip to Inter Milan to finish the opening stage.xxAttackers find it difficultProof of the value of this competition could be seen just a week after the remarkable 5-4 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the previous UEFA Youth League matchday with Arne Slot's much-debated line-up for the home League Cup defeat to Crystal Palace.There was a senior bow for Kieran Morrison - who had a hand in all five goals in Germany - while Trent Kone-Doherty, scorer of two of them, was given a second first-team outing from the bench.Indeed, there were approaching 70 scouts in attendance in the unusually packed stand at the Academy, such was the range of talent on show from both teams.Page was able to name an unchanged starting XI from the one in Germany a fortnight earlier.

And Kone-Doherty was Liverpool's most lively attacker during a tough first half, clearly targeted as a chief danger by Real given their collective whooping whenever right-back Javi Bailon won a challenge.Morrison didn't really begin making any sort of impact until just before the break but was well shackled throughout while both central striker Keyrol Figueroa and No.10 Josh Sonni-Lambie found it tough going, the latter replaced before the hour.Testing for TreyNobody said developing as a youngster was easy. And after impressive progress in recent months, Trey Nyoni has endured a testing time in the last week.Given an eighth senior appearance against Palace last week, the 18-year-old was among those to fall well below their best, an indecisive showing in the second half even prompting grumbles from some of the less patient among the Anfield crowd.Nyoni was again skipper here.

And while he never stopped showing for possession in midfield, his slack passing was responsible for two Real Madrid chances in the first half, the second of which Ortega wastefully struck against the crossbar when clean through.By contrast, Nyoni's midfield partner, 17-year-old Joe Upton, was among the few Liverpool players who demonstrated a willingness to both mix it with the visitors and use possession intelligently.Prince Cisse continued his improvement at right-back and goalkeeper Hall, despite being beaten three times, couldn't be faulted.Liverpool must learnOne of the long-established virtues of the UEFA Youth League is the opportunity to experience playing against teams from abroad with different tactics and different approaches.And Liverpool were given a lesson in, while not quite the dark arts, certainly behaviour that isn't as white as the colours proudly worn by the visitors.Despite Real having the greater physical presence, they weren't averse to easing any pressure during the opening stages by falling to ground when encountering Liverpool players, referee Bastien Dechepy having seen enough when Ortega was shown a yellow card for simulation with Cisse in the nearby vicinity.Nor were Real discouraged from the odd tactical foul, such as when Pol Duran blatantly hauled back Morrison near the halfway line in the second half.Ortega, though, had already damaged Liverpool when opening the scoring on 14 minutes, turning in a low cross from the left by Liberto Navascues before Perez doubled the lead three minutes after the interval when meeting Diego Aguado's low left-wing corner.Barroso then notched with 14 minutes remaining having been teed up by fellow substitute Daniel Yanez on the counter, and Aguado struck in the second minute of injury time.LIVERPOOL U19s (4-2-3-1): Hall; Cisse, Pinnington, Airoboma (O'Connor 68), Ayman; Upton (Yeguo 82), Nyoni; Morrison, Sonni-Lambie (Bradshaw 52), Kone-Doherty; Figueroa. BOOKINGS: Pinnington, Kone-Doherty.