AcademyU18s match report: Comeback at Birmingham sends Liverpool to PL Cup quarter-finals

It was all change in Group G on Saturday afternoon as Arsenal’s home defeat by Crystal Palace presented the young Reds with a chance to grab top spot on goal difference.

They suffered a setback in that objective early on, however, as the home team got in front on the quarter-hour mark at The Knighthead Training and Academy Grounds.

Following a scramble inside the Liverpool area, Birmingham forward Kaidon Robinson was able to convert from close range.

Robinson could have doubled City’s advantage midway through the half but, having been teed up by Briar Bateman’s pullback, he was off target with the finish.

And the complexion of the encounter would be upended when the Reds netted twice inside the space of four minutes before the interval.

Kareem Ahmed brought Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s side level with 41 on the clock, and Josh Sonni-Lambie completed a rapid turnaround by scoring from the penalty spot right on the stroke of half-time.

The match – and the single guaranteed qualifying spot in the group – remained in the balance for the majority of the second period with the score unchanged.

But Liverpool confirmed a win on the day and a place in the tournament’s last eight when Joe Bradshaw netted three minutes from the end.

“A good result,” Bridge-Wilkinson told Liverpoolfc.com post-match. “It was disappointing to go a goal down quite early but the lads did really well, stuck at it.

“Really tough conditions for both teams, strong wind across the pitch and obviously a wet, windy day. It was moments of quality I think that were probably the most important thing.

“The lads fought, scrapped and did everything they could, but the moments of quality – we scored three good goals.

“It’s really pleasing to go through. We played Arsenal it seems like an age ago now and we actually performed OK on the day without managing to get any sort of result.

“So, to go to Palace and to go to Birmingham, two completely different days, and perform really admirably in both of them in different ways is a really good thing for the group in general. So, pleasing.”

Team

Starting XI: Hall, Furnell-Gill, Evers, Airoboma, Enahoro-Marcus, O’Connor, Ewing, Ahmed, Ngumoha, Bradshaw, Sonni-Lambie.

Next up

Attention now turns to the UEFA Youth League, with the U19s group hosting Real Madrid at the Academy on Wednesday (November 27).

Kick-off in Kirkby is 3pm GMT and the game will be shown live on LFCTV GO.