The big news form the Youth Cup this week is that all the matches have finally been played and we can now get on with the business end of the competition.

But before we do, in a Top 100 Blog Exclusive, I can exclusively reveal that Real Madrid are back IN the Youth Cup! Having quit just two weeks ago claiming the competition was costing them a shot at the league title, and in any case just wasn’t competitive enough for the three time Youth Cup final losers and this season’s odds-on favourites, Youth Cup supremo Beddows has confirmed he had ‘a conversation’ with the Madrid club’s crazy Irish manager Roy Keane, and now, lo and behold, they they are back in.


In the space of a few days, Madrid sold most of their best youth players to their closest rivals Juventus, and also to Arsenal, and - surprise, surprise - Top 100 owner Frank Hirst’s Genoa. That should certainly make the Youth Cup more competitive this season, Roy. Thank you!

WALKING THE DOG

The other big losers from this arrangement are Hertha Berlin, who would have qualified in Madrid’s absence, but Berlin boss Mark Stewart, ever the perfect host, simply stocked up his fridge with Strongbow, his cupboards with two weeks' supply of Pedigree Chum, assorted bin liners, satsumas and several poop scoops, and his wardrobe with oversized lingerie, and welcomed Keane to take his place.

WORKING THE LAPDOG

Meanwhile reports on social media and Fake News sites alleging photographs have emerged* showing Sir Stephen Beddows naked (above the neck), wearing only a schoolgirl’s outfit and a smile while perched on Roy Keane’s lap, have led to allegations of corruption.

Hamburger boss Marsden claimed, “It’s an amazing coincidence that Hamburg go on to win Group 1 after Madrid told the world they were quitting the competition, and then two weeks later, they are back in as group winners. When I asked Sir Stephen if Hamburg could take a few weeks off and return for the final, he just laughed maniacally in a broad Cork accent."

Enough of that nonsense, and on with the football.

In the outstanding games that were still to be played to complete the final group fixtures, Liverpool beat Manchester City to confirm their third place finish and City in fourth in Group 5. In Group 4 Monaco claimed a default 3-0 win against Twente, who failed to arrange their fixture. That result lifts Monaco into second in the group.

Sir Stephen posted last week the fixture schedule and arrangement for the knockout stages, and here is the list of final standings.

TOP 8 GROUP WINNERS WITH BYE INTO ROUND 3

The best eight group winners receive a bye into the third round of the Youth Cup, and a home tie into the bargain. Here they are in order:


Group Pos Team Pl W D L C F A +/- Pts
7 1 Manchester United 10 10 0 0 0 28 9 19 30
6 1 Valencia CF 10 9 1 0 0 30 7 23 28
10 1 Leverkusen 10 9 0 1 0 34 5 29 27
4 1 Bayern 10 8 0 2 0 27 7 20 24
9 1 RSC Anderlecht 10 7 3 0 0 23 8 15 24
5 1 Juventus 10 7 3 0 0 18 3 15 24
1 1 Real Madrid 10 8 0 2 2 26 6 20 22
2 1 SL Benfica 10 6 4 0 0 25 9 16 22


HOME TEAMS IN YOUTH CUP KNOCKOUT ROUND 2

The following teams will play at home in matches 1 to 8 in the knockout round 2 of the Youth Cup:

Group Pos Team Pl W D L C F A +/- Pts
8 1 Everton 10 7 2 1 1 22 7 15 22
3 1 Barcelona 10 6 2 2 0 20 12 8 20
5 2 SSC Napoli 10 7 2 1 0 22 4 18 23
9 2 Monchengladbach 10 7 2 1 0 17 6 11 23
1 2 HAMBURG 10 7 1 2 0 22 4 18 22
8 2 Southampton 10 5 4 1 0 19 13 6 19
4 2 AS Monaco 10 6 1 3 0 17 12 5 19
7 2 Hoffenheim 10 6 1 3 1 20 14 6 18

AWAY TEAMS IN YOUTH CUP KNOCKOUT ROUND 2

And they will play the following teams:

Group Pos Team Pl W D L C F A +/- Pts
5 3 Liverpool 10 4 3 3 0 15 11 4 15
4 3 Augsburg 10 6 2 2 1 16 13 3 19
9 3 AC Milan 10 6 2 2 0 23 14 9 20
1 3 Flamengo 10 7 0 3 0 18 8 10 21
10 2 Arsenal 10 5 2 3 0 19 14 5 17
2 2 Sampdoria 10 5 2 3 0 17 9 8 17
6 2 Sevilla 10 6 0 4 0 16 11 5 18
3 2 Dortmund 10 6 0 4 0 17 12 5 18

So, in the picks of the round, Everton will play Liverpool at Goodison Park in a tasty Merseyside derby. 

Napoli will play Milan in an all Italian affair. 

And little Hoffenheim will host their German giant counterparts Dortmund.

And so on.

HOME TEAMS IN YOUTH SHIELD KNOCKOUT ROUND 2

Group Pos Team Pl W D L C F A +/- Pts
3 3 Sporting CP 10 5 1 4 1 13 11 2 15
10 3 Wolfsburg 10 5 2 3 2 11 11 0 15
2 3 Standard Liège 10 3 5 2 0 14 11 3 14
7 3 Sassuolo 10 4 2 4 0 14 11 3 14
8 3 Atlético Madrid 10 4 3 3 2 20 17 3 13
6 3 Lokomotiv Moskva 10 4 1 5 0 20 21 -1 13
4 4 Villarreal CF 10 5 2 3 0 19 13 6 17
3 4 Swansea City 10 4 2 4 0 11 12 -1 14

AWAY TEAMS IN YOUTH SHIELD KNOCKOUT ROUND 2

Group Pos Team Pl W D L C F A +/- Pts
1 4 Celtic 10 2 2 6 0 7 16 -9 8
9 4 Torino 10 3 2 5 2 9 17 -8 9
8 4 Chelsea 10 2 4 4 1 10 15 -5 9
7 4 Newcastle United 10 3 1 6 0 12 13 -1 10
10 4 Fenerbahçe SK 10 3 2 5 0 17 23 -6 11
5 4 Manchester City 10 3 3 4 1 11 15 -4 11
6 4 Cruzeiro 10 4 2 4 2 13 12 1 12
2 4 Dynamo Kyiv 10 4 2 4 1 17 16 1 13


So, for example, Sporting host Celtic in a battle of the green hoops, Liege host Chelsea, and Swansea host Kyiv. And so on.

I'll post a full list of fixtures scheduled for Saturday 18 November in a separate post, and on the newsfeed later.

*If anyone has some very basic photoshop style skills, and has the time and motivation to produce some photographic evidence to support these claims, that would be much appreciated.