UEFA Youth League draw in Genk

UEFA Youth League draw in GenkSet up well for return legOn their return to the European stage, our Young Bulls faced off against the U19 talents of KRC Genk in the second round of the UEFA Youth League’s Champions Path. Dovas Grudzinskas headed our side into the lead, but the match ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw - a result that leaves everything to play for for Danny Galm's squad heading into the return leg in Austria next week.Match summaryOur Young Bulls had waited 551 days to return to the UYL stage, and they weren't in the mood to wait around any longer. Just minutes into the game, Jakob Zangerl - having pushed forward - made his presence felt, though his effort whistled over the bar. The Smurfs also looked sharp, with Driessen firing wide. Our strong start eventually paid off: Dovas Grudzinskas rose highest to meet a corner from Matjasec, heading the ball home to make it 1-0 in the 15th minute! Although our boys kept the pressure on - with Jakob Pokorny threatening via a spinning shot - the hosts grew into the game as the first half progressed. Goalkeeper Teo Hupfauf neutralised an attempt by Balde, while a cross deflected by Nico Masching sailed just wide of our own goal. Then the half-time whistle sounded.After the break, the Belgians held the upper hand in terms of chances. De Groof saw a long-range effort denied by Hupfauf, and just after substitute Ifeanyichukwu Onwuzulike had provided some relief following a corner kick, the hosts were celebrating as Moorthamer converted a sharp delivery from point-blank range in the 56th minute. Their precision began to wane, as did the quality of chances for both sides. In the time that followed, up until stoppage time, Ogbeiwi and Jakob Werner came closest to scoring.The fact that the match ended 1-1 was thanks to our goalkeeper, who produced a brilliant save to deny Ceesay a clear-cut chance in the final moments. The draw provides a decent platform ahead of the return leg next Tuesday at the Red Bull Football Academy - in front of a full house, as all tickets for the decisive match have already been snapped up.ViewsAs I said beforehand: the tie won’t be decided in the first leg. We started the first 15 minutes well and took a deserved 1-0 lead - but what happened afterwards was certainly not what we had envisioned. We need to improve significantly in every phase of play, work with greater intensity when out of possession, and strike the right balance - both in terms of quick transitions and our own spells of possession. The positive takeaway is the result. Next week, we need to show a different side of ourselves, because playing well for just fifteen minutes just isn’t enough.Danny GalmLine-ups & substitutionsKRC Genk U19: Fernandez – El Morabet, Moorthamer, Kapers ©, Saidi – Driessen (86. Houssou), De Groof (59. Borgers), Ogbeiwi – Dauletov (74. Njoku), Balde (86. Vanschoenwinkel), N’Salambi (74. Ceesay)FC Salzburg U19: Hupfauf – Feldinger, Masching, Pokorny (46. Onwuzulike), Zangerl – Sulbaran (52. Werner), Aleksic, Grudzinskas (84. Nisic), Matjasec (62. Swozil) – Ivanschitz ©, Moser (62. Matijasevic)Referee: Mikkel RedderGoals: Moorthamer (56.) - Grudzinskas (15.)Yellow cards: Balde (25./Foul), Saidi (73./Foul), Njoku (79./Foul), Vanschoenwinkel (90.+3/Foul) - Grudzinskas (69./Foul), Onwuzulike (77./Foul)