ASVILLANSHIT
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DEAN SMITH and John Terry went into Liverpool’s dressing room to praise their performance after a
decent production line in lads v dads quarter-final
place. Yet there was still ended in a painful lesson.
The youngest Reds team something wrong with a in history, with an average last-eight game in which age of 19, were shown the an under-age team were Carabao Cup door with pitted against a reserve XI. first-team stars away on It was not as one-sided Club World Cup duty. as the score suggests. In
While Neil Critchley’s terms of possession, efforts Under-23s were repeatedly on goal and creativity, denied by keeper Orjan Liverpool juniors could Nyland, Aston Villa hustled be proud of themselves. them out of the clash and But they trailed 2-0 in 17 were four up by half-time. minutes after Conor
Critchley revealed Hourihane’s free-kick went Villans boss Smith and his straight in then Morgan assistant Terry made an Boyes provided a decisive appearance after their deflection for Ahmed club had reached the Final Elmohamady’s cross. four of the League Cup for Two more first-half the first time since 2012-13. goals followed, one from
He added: “They said, the outside of Jonathan ‘Keep going, good luck’ Kodjia’s right boot, the and wished us the best. other from its inside.
“That’ll be a moment I And sub Wesley ran on will remember and the to a through ball from players will remember for Trezeguet before stroking the rest of their lives. home in added-on time.
“Some of them showed Smith said: “It was a the potential to one day little bit of a weird game, play for us or in the Premier probably the weirdest League. They’ll know it was quarter-final of a major just part of their journey. competition I’ve seen or My overwhelming feeling been involved in. was one of immense pride.” “But I’ve got to give the
There were enough Liverpool kids credit – they promising performances were very good, technically – from the likes of Harvey gifted players who were Elliott and Herbie Kane – tactically switched on and to convince fans there is a well coached.” ReSUlTS & FiXTUReS
FIFA Club World Cup semi-final – Monterrey v Liverpool (5.30).
League Cup quarter-finals – Everton v Leicester, Oxford Utd v Man City, Man Utd v Colchester (8.0).
Italian Serie A – Sampdoria v Juventus (5.55), Brescia v Sassuolo.
Spanish La Liga – Barcelona v Real Madrid (7.0).
South of Scotland League – Mid Annandale v Nithsdale Wanderers (7.30)
North Super League – Banks o’ Dee v East End (7.30).
FA Cup 2nd rd replay – Plymouth 0, Bristol Rovers 1.
FIFA Club World Cup semi final– Flamengo 3, Al-Hilal 1. Fifth-place play-off – Al Sadd 2, ES Tunis 6.
Germany – Dortmund 3, Leipzig 3; Union Berlin 0, Hoffenheim 2; W Bremen 0, Mainz 5; Augsburg 3, Dusseldorf 0. (7.45 unless stated) Premiership – Hearts v Celtic.