The Champions League has already showcased Liverpool’s best young talents after records were broken for both the senior and under-19 teams.

Both starting elevens for the UEFA Youth League and UEFA Champions League ties meant Rio Ngumoha became the youngest starting player for Liverpool in a UEFA Champions League match, beating that of Stefan Bajcetic by 110 days after the Spaniard’s start against Real Madrid in 2023.

Rob Page starting the young homegrown talent also meant that Luca Eden became the youngest starting player in the UEFA Youth League at 15 years, five months and 29 days old, beating previous holder Josh Abe, who was 15 years, six months and 17 days old.

It shows the pathway to the first team is there, with records being broken to showcase on the biggest stage, but the players breaking these records are some of the most exciting talents the club have had.

Just as importantly, it is another homegrown talent Liverpool are producing, which can be a huge benefit in squads when Liverpool decide they want to bring in non-homegrown talents in the transfer market or fill the team with homegrown players.

Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid | Player Ratings Show

The best way to describe Luca Eden’s football is that he plays like Steven Gerrard. He has an incredible relentlessness and fearlessness to his game, which has led to many who watch him saying that he is a complete midfielder. A flexible player who can make plays in the six, the eight and the ten, he has created a lot of excitement about himself, especially since he’s been at the club since the age of four.

Being part of his boyhood team since such a young age means he understands the club and has grown through the age groups playing the Liverpool way, which will transfer onto the pitch as he breaks through the different age groups and teams to become a player very comfortable in any Liverpool side.

Eden also broke the record for the youngest goal scorer in Liverpool under-18 history at 14 years old last season, something that will now take a long time for anyone to come close to breaking. He’s been involved in the England set-ups, and only the likes of Rio Ngumoha, Max Dowman and JJ Gabriel are playing so many years ahead of their age group, showing the level of talent that he has to be competing at the level he is at.
 
Ngumoha does not need explaining. An incredibly exciting, young and direct winger, the recently turned 18-year-old had the most touches out of any attacker during his first-ever start. Breaking the record and leading the line for Liverpool in the Champions League is impressive, but at 18 years old, with the likes of Bradley Barcola and Alexander Isak around him, is even more impressive.

The former Chelsea starlet has been with the Reds since the age of 16, when he burst onto the scene with an incredible winner away at Newcastle last season. Ever since, he has had his minutes managed closely and earned six man-of-the-match awards in nine starts, showing the level he already is at before he turned 18.

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With the talents of Josh Abe, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Josh-Sonni Lambe also developing into top-class players, the Axa is becoming home to a major talent pool of players for Liverpool’s future.
 
Eden will be able to continue shining in the UEFA Youth League next month when the young Reds travel to LASK on October 14th and could feature for the Under-21s when they travel to Rush Green to play West Ham on Monday.
 
Ngumoha is also showing signs of starting more games going forward, with a home tie against Fulham this weekend being the next time Iraola can give the young wonderkid some more minutes in front of a home crowd in the league before the international break.

By Josh Smith

Andoni Iraola’s Champions League debut ends in victory as his Redmen side came from behind to have the perfect opening game.
Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis MacAllister summed up a very encouraging performance built on after the 2-0 victory over Ipswich last Friday.

A trademark Marcos Llorente goal at Anfield put opening day hopes in doubt in the first half when the Spaniard, who’s now got four goals at the ground, found a huge space in behind through the middle of the Liverpool high line.

Whilst they had the lion’s share of possession, Liverpool looked like they could score with every attack. The front of three of Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak and Rio Ngumoha looked very dangerous in and around the deep-lying Simeone defence.

However, it was Dominik Szoboszlai with the goal late on in the first half after an incredible backheel assist from Ronald Araujo that gave Liverpool the confidence to go on and win the game after momentum shifted their way midway through the first half.

Alexis Mac Allister’s thumping effort was too much for Atletico legend Jan Oblak in goal, which was ultimately the winner for Iraola’s side, and summed up the game the Argentine had.

Frimpong converted a third at the far post but was ruled out for offside, and at that point Liverpool were very comfortable with their lead.
With a superb confidence booster and the major issues being dealt with, here are the Redmen player ratings after that first European victory against one of our most difficult opponents.

Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid | Player Ratings Show

Player Ratings
 
Alisson Becker – 7
Alisson had little to do, but whilst some argued he could have done better preventing the goal he conceded, it would be harsh to give him anything less than a 7. A fantastic save as well after a ridiculous Álvarez strike from outside the box showed why he still can play at the top level for Liverpool.
 
Ronald Araujo – 8
A very complete performance from the loanee shows why he will be permanently starting in the right-back spot for the season. Atleti attacks tended to amount to very little danger down his side, but he also made many incredible passes and was heavily involved in the build-up, which is something we have not seen much of since he joined in the summer. The assist for Dominik Szoboszlai’s strike was sensational and deserved an extra point for that alone. One of our best performers, and he will need to be starting most games for the Reds to see success this season.

Jeremy Jacquet – 8
The positive of Jacquet as a defender is that he doesn’t stand out. He slots in seamlessly as if he has been at the club for over five seasons, rather than a young and nervous twenty-year-old. He misplaced one pass all game, completed all five of his long passes and made some brilliant tackles down his right-hand channel. His transfer fee looks like a steal for the fact that we may be seeing him start for Liverpool for many years to come. It sums up his start to his life in Merseyside so far.
 
Virgil Van Dijk – 7
Another very good Van Dijk performance where he also was not standing out. Always cool and composed, and didn’t allow Alvarez many clear shots on target. A cool and composed performance kept the game very comfortable for his side, and it seems like he and Jacquet are forming a brilliant partnership in this high back line.
 
Milos Kerkez – 7
A very solid performance from Milos Kerkez. Some fans have been quick to criticise him, as the Hungarian tends to look a lot less secure than he is; however, last night he had a brilliant start to his European campaign. Four tackles and 32 completed passes showed how complete he was, offering plenty going forwards and on the back foot. A very good performance overall.
 
Alexis Macallister – 9
I think when the season kicked off, most fans were not sold on the fact that Iraola hadn’t got in a number six he wanted. However, it feels as if these last two games have been some of Mac Allister’s best football at the club. Hungry for a new deal, the Argentine has been defensively well disciplined to glue the midfield together whilst knowing when to push up to add to the attack, with the goal being a perfect example. Ryan Gravenberch struggled to adapt to this role that Iraola needed, but given Mac Allister has now had time to prove his worth in the most defensive role of the midfield three, he will be ready to start there for many more games to come.

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Dominik Szoboszlai – 8
A slotted finish in the first half and the player the attacks went through – it was another classic Szoboszlai performance. A player who really conducts the midfield; it feels as if he gets the free rein to move up and down the pitch however he can, and he can contribute to both attacking and defensive actions. The most key passes in the game (5) and the most successful dribbles (4) in the game show why he is deserving of an eight.
 
Florian Wirtz – 6
Another decent performance from Wirtz, where that final product was so nearly there. He found himself in a great position in the first half, where his volleyed effort was relatively comfortably saved by Jan Oblak, but there were still more positives in the build-up. There were moments where you thought he could get the best out of Barcola in attack, and vice versa, as Wirtz’s build-up play and one-touch passing are of an extremely high standard, but it still felt as if he was lacking involvement in key goals and major attacks. Watching him, he clearly feels lost in the system but is still hungry to get the goal contributions he is so desperate to get. It’ll need to come soon, as there are two or three players knocking on the door to start in that midfield.
 
Bradley Barcola – 7
The only negative from the game is the fact that the Frenchman came off with an injury, but it seems to be a case of cramp, so it could be less of a worry. He looks sharp and moves around the pitch like a world-class winger. Electric and direct, he linked up with his attacking teammates well and caused trouble down that side. He also had a good effort early on target in the first half but no clear-cut opportunities he could’ve done better with. Fans really enjoyed the fluidity in the front three between him and Rio Ngumoha on each side, which helped get the best out of Liverpool’s most exciting prospect. It feels as if there are now two winger partnerships of Barcola and Rio, as well as Cody Gakpo and Victor Munoz. Very encouraging to see a great first start for the £123 million new signing.
 
Alexander Isak – 8
Isak’s link-up has improved exponentially this season already, and it’s been making him a better complete striker. He may not have had the goals like last game, but because of the other aspects of his game looking so much better, those encouraging signs of how well he works alongside Barcola, Rio and Szoboszlai give him a nicer rating than he would have had last season if he was very quiet on the shooting front.
 
Rio Ngumoha – 7
The interchanging between left and right-hand sides for Rio was way more beneficial for the 18-year-old. Whilst he didn’t have a great first half, he was always direct and getting on the ball as much as he could. It allowed him to take defenders on his favoured left-hand side, whilst giving him options to build up with around Araujo and Szoboszlai on the right. He never fears a take-on, and being so direct definitely caused problems. With the most touches out of all the attackers and a big improvement in the second half, it is good to see him getting some rewarding minutes in Europe.
 
All the substitutes (Victor Munoz, Lewis Koumas, Ryan Gravenberch, Kostas Tsimikas and Jeremie Frimpong) were a six out of ten, mainly because of the fact that the game had petered out with little action. However, Frimpong’s right-wing cameo was better than his right-back performances this season, so there is a high possibility we see Frimpong turn into a secondary right-wing option.
 
Next up…

Taking this game into the home tie against Fulham on Saturday, it will be interesting to see if the Reds can string a good run of games together after two wins on the bounce and an unbeaten start to the 26/27 season.

Liverpool U19s were forced to settle for a point in their opening UEFA Youth League fixture as Spanish visitors Atletico Madrid fought back from two goals down to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw at the AXA academy.

Rob Page’s side looked on course for an impressive European victory after goals from Mor Talla Ndiaye and Josh Sonni-Lambie had put the young Reds 2-0 ahead by half-time, having weathered an early onslaught.

However, Atletico responded strongly after the interval, with Joel Sanchez pulling one back before Adrian Lis-Zielinski struck in the 90th minute to rescue a point for the visitors.

Liverpool almost snatched all three points in stoppage time, but substitute Erik Farkas saw his effort crash back off the post.

The Reds also handed a UEFA Youth League debut to 15-year-old Luca Eden, a history maker, who became Liverpool’s youngest-ever player in the competition.

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The breakthrough arrived after 27 minutes when Bradshaw delivered an excellent inswinging corner towards the near post, where Mor Talla Ndiaye rose highest to glance a header beyond the Atletico goalkeeper and give Liverpool the lead.

Eden played a key role in the move, finding Josh Sonni-Lambie, who showed excellent composure before firing a powerful left-footed finish across goal and into the far corner.

The visitors responded by making three changes at half-time and immediately increased the intensity and were level when Sanchez picked up possession outside the penalty area before producing an outstanding finish, curling the ball into the top corner to give the visitors a route back into the game.

With the clock approaching 90 minutes, Atletico won a corner and worked the resulting set-piece into the Liverpool penalty area. The ball fell to Adrian Lis-Zielinski, who fired home from inside the box to make it 2-2.

Deep into stoppage time, substitute Erik Farkas found space and struck an effort from distance which beat the Atletico goalkeeper but crashed back off the post. It was agonisingly close to restoring Liverpool’s lead.

The final whistle followed shortly afterwards, leaving the young Reds to reflect on a game they had looked destined to win after a superb first-half display.

Despite surrendering the advantage, there were plenty of positives for Page’s side, particularly the attacking quality shown in the opening 45 minutes and the performances of Ndiaye, Sonni-Lambie, Bradshaw and 15-year-old Eden.

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Dan spoke to the Reds’ boss after the match…

Overall reaction: “A bit of frustration. I thought you can’t ask any more from an attitude and effort point of view. They were all on the floor at the end of the game. We knew we were up against good opposition that would keep the ball really, really well. I thought our shape in the first half was outstanding. We came off a little bit in the second half, so that’s a learning for us. The young players, like Eden in the middle of the park, 15 years old, to give a level of performance like that was outstanding. So the future is very bright for them. So that was a positive. Understandably, he just ran out of steam towards the end, even though he didn’t want to come off. So that says a lot about his character. But yes, a lot of frustration. We looked back at the goals. They didn’t have to look too hard to score the goals. We were under pressure, but I think that’s the next step for us now. It’s having that ruthless mentality to see a game out when you’re 2-0.”

More on Luca Eden: “I think we’ve all seen it. Everybody’s opinion is that it was a proper game of football. And I think players like that, they adapt to it, no problem. It’s not a shock to them. If you speak to some of the under-18s, that would have been one of the most physical games they’d have played. For somebody like Luca, he matches it and goes somewhere. And I think top, top players have the ability to do that. And he rose to the occasion today.”

On the style match the first-team: “I think it’s important my under-21s have an understanding of what the first team play. Because they’re one step away from being in that building. I think it comes down to the profile of players. We have an understanding of how the first team plays and key principles like how we press. How he wants his 10 to press, how he wants his 8 to press, how he wants his centre-backs to press. We mirror that absolutely. And I thought the first half we’d done it really well. Second, we weren’t quite as aggressive as we needed to be like we was on first half. But I think it comes down to player profile.”

On Oli’Onnor: “Oli can adapt. He’s making some great last-ditch tackles at the end. Two outstanding tackles in particular. But you play him left-wing as well, and he’ll roll his sleeves up and give you 100%. And it speaks volumes about his attitude, doesn’t it? Some players would not be too pleased about playing in two or three positions. I personally think it’s a string to his bow. It’s another attribute for him. So eventually, where do I see him playing? Maybe on the right. But to do that, I like him coming inside. I do like that with the two 10s. And to do that, you need an athletic right-back outside him. So in the long-term future, if I was to buy him into a team, I’d have an athletic right-back and him playing as a 10 off the right.”

On Mor Talla Ndiaye: “Whenever the lads go across to the first-team side, you can tell the intensity of training has gone up 10 times. We can try our best to increase the intensity of training with the 21s, but when you’ve got top players as we’ve got, it’s not three or four touches, it’s one or two touches. You’ve got to be fitter, you’ve got to be more physical. And he’s definitely benefited from it. He’s an incredible story, isn’t he? From where he’s come from to where he is today. And he’s such a humble kid. He’s an unbelievable lad to work with. He comes in every morning with a big smile on his face. He’s a pleasure to work with. Exciting times ahead, but he’s got a lot of work to do. He’s nowhere near the finished article, I’d say, but he’s on the right path. His attitude is spot on. He’s at the club that will definitely help him develop.”

On Will Wright: “I was very pleased with him. He’s done six rounds with the centre-half today. But yeah, he’s got to get used to that. That’s the game. And he doesn’t grumble. He hasn’t complained coming off. If we get a point or if we win the game and he hasn’t scored, he’s a team player.
So he’ll put a shift in for the group. And we made him captain today because of what he’s done in the past, his effort, his hard work, and how he represents the team.”