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While some of Manchester United’s u19s are taking part in the 5-a-side Rewe Junior Cup, another group are in Stuttgart for the 6-a-side Mercedes-Benz Junior Cup.
United first took on Union Berlin and got off to a good start with captain Finley McAllister giving them an early lead.
But United’s inexperience proved fatal as they left themselves prone to quick counter attacks despite the dominance of possession.
A flurry of counter-attack goals for Union Berlin came all within seconds of United losing possession, which saw the German side run out 1-4 winners.
Finley McAllister’s goal in a 1-4 loss to Union Berlin pic.twitter.com/U3M48h5wKR
— Manchester United Academy (@RedYouthUnited) January 7, 2024
United then took on Belgian side Royal Union Saint-Gilloise. An early chance from Biancheri was denied but it didn’t take long for McAllister to rifle a shot into the top right corner to give United the lead.
With Union Saint-Gilloise chasing an equaliser the match opened up for United to capitalise on the space and add three more to secure a 4-0 victory.
James Nolan grabbed the second, quickly reacting for the rebound of his own shot before Ethan Wheatley scored two, both assisted by Gabriele Biancheri.
United 4-0 Royal Union St Gilloise
Finley McAllister ⚽️
James Nolan ⚽️
Ethan Wheatley ⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/zscRYvKBgC— Manchester United Academy (@RedYouthUnited) January 7, 2024
The first group stage was rounded off with a match against SC Freiburg which didn’t go to plan.
A early goal for Freiburg put them in the driver’s seat to sit back and hit on the counter which is exactly what they did for their second. A scrambling Elyh Harrison who had pushed up was out of his goal, allowing for an easy tap in.
Ashton Missin managed to pull one back but Wheatley lashed out, which saw him sent to the sin bin for two minutes. Freiburg capitalised on the man advantage to clinch a 1-3 win.
Finishing the first round with only three points, United moved into the pre-finals where they face off against the winners and fourth-placed team from Group A, VFB Stuttgart and 1.FC Heidenheim, respectively.
Up against a strong VFB Stuttgart side, United looked to have learned from some of their previous mistakes with the need to play quicker being led by Nolan.
The 18 year old put United in the lead with a clever goal as he banked the ball off the boards to work his way into the box before finishing with his left foot.
Clever goal from James Nolan in a 1-1 draw with VFB Stuttgart. pic.twitter.com/0ZE58nFFBZ
— Manchester United Academy (@RedYouthUnited) January 7, 2024
Looking to stay more compact in and out of possession, United reduced the risk of counter attacks from Stuttgart but ultimately couldn’t hold onto the lead and it finished 1-1.
The draw leaves United on four points going into Sunday’s action, where they will finish off the group stages against 1.FC Heidenheim. A win is required and results will have to go United’s way in the other fixtures if they are to stand any chance of advancing to the semi-finals.
United squad: Elyh Harrison, Harry Amass, Jack Kingdon, Finley McAllister, Ashton Missin, Ethan Wheatley, Gabriele Biancheri, James Nolan, James Bailey, Bendito Mantato.
