AcademyYouth League match report: Liverpool and Atletico Madrid play out stalemate

There was no shortage of effort from either U19s group at the Kirkby Academy, though chances were not forthcoming until a more eventful second half.

But neither team could muster the moment of quality to break through as the respective rearguards reigned on matchday one of the league phase.

A well-timed block inside his own area by Liverpool’s Carter Pinnington thwarted Atletico during an opening spell that was marred by an injury to Will Wright.

The Reds striker was unable to continue in the aftermath of a challenge and required treatment amid being withdrawn from the action.

Rob Page’s side began to grow into the game having reset, though their best sight of goal was limited to a Josh Sonni-Lambie header glanced off target from Kieran Morrison’s centre.

The passing and approach play was pleasing from both teams but without either managing to lay much of a glove on the opposition defence.

Atletico were, however, claiming for a penalty just prior to the half-hour mark.

Jorge Rajado’s fleet of foot took his dribble off the left channel into the Reds box. He chose to continue alone and Pinnington nicked the ball away before Alvin Ayman completed the clearance, with the officials uninterested in the visitors’ appeals.

Liverpool survived a worrying Atletico counter-attack in which the Spaniards were two-on-two, DJ Esdaille picking the right moment to get a foot in.

The contest’s best opportunity so far fell the hosts’ way three minutes before the interval.

Atletico goalkeeper Diego Piqueras was harried into a misplaced pass by Trent Kone-Doherty and the ball eventually ran to Kareem Ahmed in the middle, who could only prod his finish wide.

Sonni-Lambie missed the goalframe on the other side moments later, the forward misguiding a curler across Piqueras looking for the net’s corner.

The away team began the second period the brighter and Sergio Esteban knew he might have made more of a lashed strike from the edge of the area after carving space.

Momentum slowly ebbed back to the Reds, though, and Morrison was twice desperately close in the space of a minute, whipping a free-kick just too high and then dragging a low shot wide having stood up three markers at close range.

Ahmed drove one straight at Piqueras as chances now did start to flow frequently.

Another impeccable Pinnington block kept out Atletico and Morrison’s pass for Sonni-Lambie fell short as Liverpool broke away.

Atletico’s turn to threaten saw Jesus Barrios rasp a long-range effort not too far away and Alvaro Tamargo replicated Morrison’s almost free-kick.

But the last of the referee’s whistles arrived – after two more brilliant Pinnington interventions and a Bailey Hall save from Esteban – with the score unchanged.

Team

Liverpool: Hall, Esdaille, Pinnington, Lucky, Ayman, Upton, Morrison, Nyoni, Wright (Ahmed, 12 (Lonmeni, (90+2)), Sonni-Lambie, Kone-Doherty (Bradshaw, 74).

Unused subs: Airoboma, Misciur, Cisse, Clarke, Murray-Holme, Martin.

Next up

The second of six Youth League matchdays takes Liverpool to Turkey later this month to face their Galatasaray counterparts.

Kick-off will be 3pm BST at Esenler Stadium on Tuesday September 30.