Luis Diaz‘s brother, Jesus, missed a crucial penalty before a brawl broke out after Liverpool’s UEFA Youth League win over Porto on Wednesday.
Liverpool U19s 1-1 Porto U19s
Liverpool win 6-5 on penalties
UEFA Youth League Last 16, Kirkby
March 1, 2023
Goals: Frauendorf (54′); Meireles (8′ pen)
With the scores all square after 90 minutes, the match went straight to penalties, which was where the drama would unfold.
Ben Doak missed Liverpool’s first spot kick, and Diaz had the opportunity to send Porto through with their fifth penalty, only to send his effort wide of the post.
Elijah Gift and Luca Stephenson scored the Reds’ next two, meaning Porto’s Umaro Cande had to score to keep the away side in the game.
When his effort rattled back off the crossbar, Liverpool’s players ran over to celebrate their hard-fought victory with goalkeeper Harvey Davies, before some unsavoury scenes broke out.
At this stage it’s unclear what sparked the brawl, with Doak emerging from it with a cut to his lip.
Here is Ben Doak's busted lip after it looks like the Porto players jumped him after going to celebrate qualifying with his teammates… ?pic.twitter.com/9yqGAQ0nE7
— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) March 1, 2023
Porto’s goalkeeper was sent off, as was Cande, before Reds striker Lewis Koumas was also shown a red as he made his way back to the dressing room.
It was a wild end to a contest that, up until that point, appeared to be one that was played in good spirits.
Diaz, who followed his brother’s footsteps by joining Porto on loan from hometown club Barranquilla last summer, started the game on the bench and was only introduced to the action in the second half.
After missing his penalty in the shootout, he was seen on his knees praying on the halfway line when Cande stepped up to take the penalty that he missed to send Liverpool through.
Much of Liverpool’s relief after the game may have come down to the fact they fell behind in the first half, with Porto awarded an extremely dubious penalty when Jorge Meireles went down after Davies collected the ball inside the box.
Meireles stepped up to put Porto in front from the spot, and it wasn’t until the second half that Liverpool managed to find an equaliser.
Melkamu Frauendorf was the player to put Liverpool back on level terms after Doak, who was outstanding once again, evaded a challenge, drove into the box, before his shot deflected into the path of Frauendorf to poke home.
The way Ben Doak takes the ball on the turn under pressure, the strength to hold them off, the pace to leave them trailing and the timing of the through ball. Ridiculous. ??#Liverpool #UEFAYouthLeague pic.twitter.com/ewpB8r7x3S
— Sat-nav ???? ??????? (@Redtom1903) March 1, 2023
The likes of Doak and Clark both had opportunities to win the game for Liverpool in normal time, and Porto also had their fair share of opportunities, but neither side could find the breakthrough.
Liverpool’s shoot out win has seen them progress to the last eight of the Youth League, where they will face another Portuguese outfit in Sporting, who reached the quarter-finals with an emphatic 5-1 win over Ajax.
Penalties
Doak – missed
Clark – scored
Jonas – scored
Corness – scored
Danns – scored
Gift – scored
Stephenson – scored
Liverpool: Davies; Davidson, Jonas, Miles, Scanlon; Corness, Stephenson, Clark; Doak, Frauendorf (Gift 82′), Koumas (Danns 63′)
Subs not used: Hewitson, Osborne, Laffey, Onanuga, Morrison
