Liverpool U19’s booked their place in the UEFA Youth League knockouts as a late Trent Kone-Doherty winner saw them win 1-0 against PSV U19’s, writes Kian Williams at The Academy.

With the next round now confirmed for Liverpool, they will go into their final game against Inter Milan without any real pressure.

PSV will need to beat Atletico Madrid in the next group game if they are to join Liverpool in the next round of the competition.

Both teams started the game cautiously, happy to find their footing and pass it around in turns, though it would be PSV who first made the first real impact going forward.

This pressure saw Prince Cisse struggle early on, picking up a yellow card for a bad tackle on Shurjyano Cornecion, and almost immediately upending Austyn Jones, luckily escaping a second booking.

Kone-Doherty managed to take the pressure off Liverpool, as he bombed down the left wing, forcing Rivas Manuhutu into two clearances after he had blazed past Kyano Gerard David Penso.

Joseph Upton holds the ball under pressure from PSV
Joseph Upton holds the ball under pressure from PSV. Photo by Kian Williams

The first real chance of the game came as the ball fell to Kieran Morrison outside of the box, who curled it with his left foot, forcing Kane Aerts into the save for PSV.

Joseph Upton’s brilliant pressure saw him win the ball high up the pitch from Benjamin Khaderi, finding Morrison who made a mazy run inside from the right-hand side before sending his shot just wide of the post.

Liverpool’s number 10 continued his bright start, winning a corner before perfectly finding Carter Pinnington who headed it just over the bar.

PSV opened the second half with their first big chance of the game as Jaden de Guzman beat his man, taking the ball down the byline and squaring it to Jones who couldn’t quite squeeze it in at Bailey Hall’s near post.

King Duah tries to cross it into the box for PSV. Photo by Kian Williams.
King Duah tries to cross it into the box for PSV. Photo by Kian Williams.

Manuhutu joined Cisse in the referee’s book, as he pulled down Morrison just outside the box, who took the Liverpool free kick and forced Aerts into another save.

The Reds continued to pile the pressure on PSV, looking for a payoff to their dominance, but they struggled to create anything more than a few half chances going into the final 10 minutes.

As the game came to it’s close, Kone-Doherty got onto the end of Pinnington’s flick on from a corner, finally beating the PSV goalkeeper in the 90th minute to win the game and confirm Liverpool’s place in the UEFA Youth League knockouts.

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