Will Wright was forced off through an early injury as Liverpool U19s were held to a 0-0 draw by Atletico Madrid, on afternoon that saw Trey Nyoni start as captain.
Liverpool U19s 0-0 Atletico Madrid U19s
UEFA Youth League (1), Kirkby Academy
September 17, 2025
With former coach Barry Lewtas watching from the stands, new boss Rob Page lined Liverpool up in a 4-2-3-1 formation as Nyoni captained the team.
Jayden Danns wasn’t involved due to his expected inclusion in the first-team squad later in the day.
Wright, who signed from Salford in the summer, started the match up front, but his afternoon lasted just 11 minutes as he was forced off due to a right knee injury sustained in a block tackle which, despite initially trying to play through, saw him require a stretcher to return to the changing rooms.
In his place came Kareem Ahmed, who played as Liverpool’s No. 10 while Josh Sonni-Lambie went up front.
The best opportunity of the first 45 minutes came with just three left to play, when a loose pass allowed the Reds a great chance in the opposition box, but without much time to think about his effort, Ahmed could only put the ball wide.
Shortly after, Atletico lost the ball in a dangerous area again as Sonni-Lambie dispossessed Jorge Dominguez, but Liverpool’s attacker couldn’t get enough curl on his effort towards the far corner.
Half time: Liverpool U19s 0-0 Atletico Madrid U19s
Liverpool were much better after the break, as they played into the wind and towards the academy building.
Kieran Morrison, who had been quiet, became more involved. Playing on the right, the left-footer saw a powerful free-kick hit the crossbar, before dragging a weaker-footed shot across goal and just wide minutes later.
By the time Liverpool had made their first substitution of the second half, bringing on impressive U18s winger Joe Bradshaw for Trent Kone-Doherty after 74 minutes, Atletico had made four.
Though the away team clearly had the height advantage on their hosts in midfield, Liverpool held their own and arguably had the better opportunities in the second half.
A late roll of the dice by Page, bringing on Scofield Lonmeni for Ahmed in attack, didn’t make a difference, and the statistics suggested the draw was a fair result.
This was a solid start from Liverpool who were up against a more physically imposing team, but it does now mean their away games become more important if they are to progress past the league phase.
Liverpool U19s: Hall; Esdaille, Pinnington, Lucky, Ayman; Upton, Nyoni; Morrison, Sonni-Lambie, Kone-Doherty (Bradshaw 74′); Wright (Ahmed 12′, Lonmeni 90+2′)
Subs not used: Misciur, Airoboma, Cisse, Clarke, Murray-Holme, Martin
Next match: Galatasaray U19s (A) – UEFA Youth League – Tuesday, September 30, 3pm (BST)