Advertisement

Rio Ngumoha takes new step, Trey Nyoni hint and Liverpool earns European boost

Ranel Young celebrates scoring for Liverpool in the UEFA Youth League.
-Credit: (Image: Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)


After a goalless draw in Milan to open its UEFA Youth League campaign, Liverpool U19s picked up its first victory in Europe since March 2023 against Bologna U19s in Kirkby, boosting its chance of securing a passage through to the knockout phase.

Rio Ngumoha has been the name on plenty of people's lips since he arrived from Chelsea in the summer, but it was Ranel Young and Amara Nallo who got on the scoresheet to earn a 2-1 win.

The first half contained few chances. Trent Kone-Doherty had the biggest opening when he was played through by Young on the counter but Bologna goalkeeper Massimo Pessina got down well. That was a better chance than anything else that arrived in the first 45 minutes.

Ngumoha saw plenty of the ball but his dribbling — plus that of Kieran Morrison and Kone-Doherty — hadn’t really come to much. Liverpool got most of the way up the pitch before not being able to finish the move with a goal.

Ngumoha hit the bar from distance before the interval and smashed one over the top from a similar position but was little in the way of anything clear-cut aside from the Kone Doherty chance. Bologna got into a couple of decent positions but failed to make the right decision with counter-attacks.

It took a Bologna error for Liverpool to take the lead, Young finishing after tackling Petar Markovic inside his own penalty area. From close range, the Reds' No.9 put his side in front.

Rio Ngumoha
Rio Ngumoha in action for Liverpool -Credit:Getty Images

Nallo, captaining the team for the first time at this level, and his center-back partner Wellity Lucky did well in the main, but allowed Federico Totin too much space at the other end shortly after. He made no mistake as he shot into the corner and made it 1-1.

But then Nallo poked home a goal from close range after Pessina had parried a downward header to put his side in front again. Liverpool had the better of the chances and was probably on top overall, with Kone Doherty, Morrison and Ngumoha all having a few moments. The Reds managed to see the game out.

Trey Nyoni, who skippered the team against Milan in the last fixture in this competition, was not involved here, which could hint at his inclusion in the senior matchday squad later today. In his absence, his peers got the points.