Glatzel: We've learned lessons for Dinamo Zagreb tie
Paul Glatzel believes Liverpool U19s' experiences in the UEFA Youth League group stage can be beneficial when they take on Dinamo Zagreb in the last 16 on Tuesday.
The young Reds secured top spot in their section ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade to automatically progress to the tournament’s knockout stages.
Their home form – maximum points from three games – was pivotal to finishing first but it was the lessons learned on the road that Glatzel expects to be influential in Croatia.
A controversial ending against Napoli that denied Liverpool victory was followed by a thriller with PSG, which Barry Lewtas’ charges narrowly lost 3-2.
“It’s a massive learning curve because there are different styles of play and you have to deal with different conditions in different countries. It can be tough, but we’re doing alright,” Glatzel told the official LFC matchday programme.
“You can tell the difference between home and away games a lot more and I still don’t know how to describe the experience of playing Napoli away.
“There were three balls on the pitch at one point when they equalised at the end and it was tough to take after battling so hard during the whole game.
“I still don’t understand what happened but we took it, moved on and when they came to St Helens we definitely enjoyed winning that game!
“Hopefully the experience will help us in Zagreb as it’s going to be a tough game over there in front of their fans.”
Lewtas’ U18 and U19 groups are aiming for success in three competitions.
In addition to their Youth League campaign, Liverpool are second in the U18 Premier League North and have an FA Youth Cup semi-final against Watford this Sunday.
“If you ask anyone in the dressing room, we all want to win things,” added Glatzel.
“We’ve got good chances of winning things this season so we need to keep going and see where it takes us. Player development is massive, but I think it helps if you win things as well.”