City's Under-19s secure battling UEFA Youth League draw away at Red Star Belgrade

Goals from Ashton Muir and substitute Farid Alfa-Ruprecht were enough to secure a deserved point in the Serbian capital and ensured City remained unbeaten across all six Youth League group matches.

In the process Brian Barry-Murphy’s youthful side featuring a number of Youth League debutants also secured a comprehensive top place finish in Group G with 14 points, three clear of second placed RB Leipzig.

What happened

It was unique set up with Red Star ground being housed on top of a Belgrade shopping centre!

Once the action got under way the hosts soon demonstrated that despite their failure to qualify from the group, they packed quality aplenty.

Skipper Jahmai Simpson Pusey needed to make crucial early block to deny Jovan Sljivic.

At the other end,  Michael Okeke then brought a fine save out of Red Star keeper Draskic with a swerving 20-yard drive.

However, it was Red Star who struck first on 20 minutes with a quite brilliant goal from dangerman Sljivic.

The playmaker received the ball on the left edge of the City box, turned outside before then despatching a quite brilliant curling right foot shot which flew past keeper George Murray-Jones into the top corner.

It was a hard-fought encounter with space and time at a premium, but the hosts nearly doubled their advantage through skipper Vukicevic whose header from a corner went just wide.

But City the drew level on 37 minutes in superb fashion thanks to a stunning strike from Youth League debutant Ashton Muir.

Muir met a looping cross from Divine Mukasa on the right edge of the box and side footed home a brilliant right foot volley into the far corner of the net.

Red Star though replied in kind by restoring their lead on 41 minutes with another fine strike.

An intricate passing move ended with Maksimovic firing home a fine effort from the edge of the box which just evaded Murray-Jones.

City then saw a shout for a penalty turned down after Mukasa was bundled over in the box as an eventful first half wrapped up in breathless fashion.

Oboavwoduo had an opportunity to restore parity early into the second half when a long ball from Samuel sat up invitingly for him.

However, the City youngster’s lob was just a touch too hard and sailed over the bar.

Two minutes later the woodwork denied Oboavwoduo after he latched onto Tom Gavez’s inviting inside the box.
Red Star keeper Draskic then showed his ability by diving smartly to smother Lakyle Samuel’s fiercely struck effort.

As Barry-Murphy’s charges sought another leveller, substitute Farid Alfa-Ruprecht was next to try his luck for City on 67 minutes only to see his effort on the right edge of the box drift wide.

We then came desperately close to a second when Samuel’s 73rd minute header ricocheted back off the bar before Draskic somehow clawed away Okeke’s instant follow up when he seemed certain to score.

City’s endeavour though was finally rewarded when we drew level on 76 through Alfa-Ruprecht.

The winger latched onto a fine Galvez long ball, held off the challenge of two defenders before colly slotting home for his first UEFA Youth League goal.

Murray Jones then performed heroics to push a goalbound Markocevic header onto the post to ensure a fine encounter ended all square.

How we lined up

George Murray-Jones was in goal and shielded by a back four of Ezra Carrington, Jahamai Simpson-Pusey, Lakyle Samuel and Tom Galvez.

Jacob Wright, Devine Musaka, Josh Adam and Michael Okeke lined up in midfield with Justin Oboavwoduo and Ashton Muir deployed further forward.

CITY XI | Murray-Jones, Carrington (Noble 77), Simpson-Pusey (C), Samuel, Galvez, Wright, Muir (Lawrence 77), Okeke (J Heskey 77), Oboavwoduo, Mukasa (Alfa-Ruprecht 65), Adam

SUBS | Wint, Naylor, Gray

What it means

The result sees City finish top of Group G with a haul of 14 points from our six matches which means we go straight through to the last 16 knockout stages.

RB Leipzig finished second with 11 points and will enter the play-offs in February to see if they progress through to the last 16.

What’s next

City play our final match before the Christmas break on Sunday when we return to PL2 action at home to Norwich City.

The match at the Joie Stadium gets underway at 13.00pm (UK).