The S25 Youth Cup served up another electrifying round of action on Saturday, May 17th, with young talents across Europe battling for glory. Fans were treated to stunning comebacks, dominant displays by tournament favourites, and the unfortunate drama of forfeits significantly impacting group standings. Here’s your roundup of a memorable night under the lights!
HEADLINE CLASHES: GOAL-FESTS AND LAST-GASP HEROICS!
SEVEN-GOAL THRILLER SEES PALACE STUN CITY! Spiten-Nysaeter’s Late Double Downs 10-Man Sky Blues
In what was arguably the match of the round and echoing yesterday’s real life FA Cup Final result, Crystal Palace (78 rating) edged out three-time Youth Cup champions Manchester City (82 rating) 4-3 in a pulsating Group G encounter that had everything. The lead changed hands multiple times in a true end-to-end battle.
City’s Anderson Duarte was a constant threat, opening the scoring in the 14th minute and adding a second with a dipping shot in the 31st. However, Palace hit back each time, first through Kaio César (15′) who coolly side-footed home. The second half saw Ola Spiten-Nysaeter level for Palace with a dipping shot of his own (48′), before Victor Gabriel unleashed a hopeful long-range effort that sailed over City keeper Ilić to put Palace ahead 3-2 (68′).
City looked to have salvaged a point when Vukašin Djukanović slotted home in the 85th minute to make it 3-3. But the drama wasn’t over. Spiten-Nysaeter became the hero for the Eagles, grabbing his second and the match-winner in the 88th minute from a free-kick delivery. City’s night ended in further frustration as two-goal star Duarte saw red in the 89th minute. Despite the loss, Man City remain top of Group G on goal difference ahead of Dynamo Moskva and Crystal Palace, who all sit on six points.
Manager of Crystal Palace was undoubtedly thrilled, while the City camp will rue the late red card and missed opportunity.
BARÇA ROAR BACK! Aghehowa Brace Seals Stunning Comeback Against Bayern in Youth Cup Epic
Two giants of youth football, FC Barcelona (85 rating) and Bayern München (79 rating), delivered a Group A classic, with the Catalans ultimately triumphing 4-3 to maintain their perfect start to the S25 Youth Cup. The match was a rollercoaster, with former S5 champions Barcelona having to dig deep after trailing three times.
Bayern, themselves S6 Youth Cup winners, started brightly with Bilal El Khannouss finding the top corner in just the 3rd minute. Djeidi Gassama equalised for Barça (20′), only for Fallou Diouf to restore Bayern’s lead with a powerful long shot (27′). Joel Ordóñez then hit a long-range stunner for Barcelona (38′) to level things again. Just before the break, Assane Diao put Bayern 3-2 ahead (44′) with a well-taken dipping shot.
The second half, however, belonged to Barcelona’s Samuel Aghehowa. He first smashed home a powerful strike (68′) and then, with just over ten minutes remaining, fired home the winner (79′), both goals assisted by the influential Lamine Yamal. Fallou Diouf picked up a yellow card for Bayern in a match where Barcelona dominated possession and shots. The win cements Barcelona’s top spot in Group A with a perfect nine points, as confirmed by their delighted manager Adam post-match, who praised the “end to end stuff” and noted it was “3 wins in a row.” Bayern’s manager, Bojan H, was gracious, admitting his team fought hard against a higher-rated opponent.
AROUND THE GROUNDS: DOMINANT DISPLAYS & KEY VICTORIES
Reigning Champions & Favourites Flex Their Muscles
Leicester City (84 rating), the reigning two-time Youth Cup champions, continued their imperious title defence with a crushing 5-1 victory over SC Internacional in Group D, signaling their intent for a historic third consecutive trophy.
Elsewhere, S9 Youth Cup winners and reigning S24 Youth Shield holders CR Flamengo (82 rating) were in devastating form, dispatching VfL Wolfsburg 5-1 away in Group K to maintain their perfect record. Manchester United manager Dan Wallace was in buoyant mood after his side’s 5-0 demolition of Dynamo Kyiv in Group F, humorously declaring his team had them “for dinner” as they cemented their “pole position.”
Three-time Youth Cup winners Juventus (84 rating) also showcased their class, defeating Feyenoord 4-1 in Group C to keep their 100% record intact.
Former Winners Secure Important Wins
Arsenal (80 rating), S16 Youth Cup victors, overcame Olympique Lyonnais 5-3 in a high-scoring Group F affair. Manager Heath Brown was pleased with the “Great win” amidst a packed schedule for his youngsters.
Inaugural Youth Cup winners (S1) Atlético Madrid (81 rating) enjoyed a “comfortable 4-0 win” over TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in Group L, as per their manager Gav Harmer, who was optimistic about the club’s future talents.
Former S4 champions Chelsea (82 rating) maintained their Group J lead with a solid 2-0 win at Stoke City. Pedro Vilar, manager of Tottenham Hotspur (82 rating), praised his team’s “Great win” as they beat former Shield winners AC Milan 2-0, with Bahoya named Man of the Match.
S18 Youth Cup winners SL Benfica (80 rating) also recorded a comfortable 3-0 win against Olympiacos in Group B.
Forfeit Controversy Hits Round 3
Two matches on Saturday were decided by forfeits, both recorded as 3-0 victories:
- In Group E, HAMBURGER SV were awarded a 3-0 win after Internazionale forfeited. This result significantly helps the former S13 Youth Shield winners.
- In Group J, Celtic received a 3-0 win as five-time Youth Cup winners Levante UD forfeited. Levante manager Salvatore Zerbo publicly apologised, stating, “we forgot to field the youth team… we lost the match.”
Other Notable Results from Saturday 17th May:
- FC Schalke 04 0-2 Cruzeiro: A key win for Cruzeiro in the tightly contested Group I.
- RSC Anderlecht 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen: Points shared in Group E between two teams with Youth Shield (Anderlecht S11) and Youth Cup (Leverkusen S3) history.
- Sevilla 2-1 Valencia CF: Former S6 Shield winners Sevilla edged out S5 Cup champions Valencia in Group A.
- Sunderland 1-2 Everton: Everton picked up a crucial win in Group I.
- Dynamo Moskva 3-1 Chievo Verona: An important victory for Dynamo Moskva in the competitive Group G.
- Borussia Mönchengladbach 0-3 Borussia Dortmund: Dortmund strong in Group K.
- Atalanta BC 1-4 CSKA Moskva: CSKA Moskva with a convincing win in Group H.
- Beşiktaş JK 0-4 Hertha BSC: Former S18 Shield winners Hertha continue their perfect run in Group L.
- São Paulo FC 1-0 RCD Espanyol: A significant win for São Paulo against the highly-rated Espanyol in Group B.
- Udinese Calcio 1-2 Sampdoria: A “Wow!!!” win for Sampdoria, according to their manager Sir Stephen Beddows, keeping their hopes alive in Group D.
- West Bromwich Albion 1-3 Independiente: Independiente secure the points in Group C.
The S25 Youth Cup continues to deliver excitement and drama. With three rounds played, the path to the knockout stages is starting to take shape, but plenty of twists and turns surely await!
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