Manchester United dealt Euro blow as they face UEFA Youth League challenge
Man United's youngsters were beaten 2-1 by AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Youth League on Tuesday evening.
Manchester United's Under-19s were beaten 2-1 by AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their UEFA Youth League third round tie in the Netherlands on Tuesday.
Adam Lawrence's side, who blitzed past FK Zalgiris in the previous round, winning 11-2 on aggregate, got their noses in front with 19 minutes on the clock at the AZ Training Centre when AZ defender Jeremiah Esajas turned the ball into his own net. United, who included the likes of Harry Amass and Ethan Wheatley in their starting line-up, were pegged back just before half-time when 18-year-old Yoel van den Ban clawed the home side level.
The Dutch outfit, who won the UEFA Youth League in 2022/23, turned the contest on its head with just over 20 minutes left when Kasper Boogaard found the net.
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United boss Lawrence turned to his substitutes bench in the hope of finding an answer that would enable his side to find a route back into the game. He brought on striker Gabriele Biancheri, who has been scoring for fun so far this season, and Amir Ibragimov, but his efforts were to no avail, meaning United lost for just the second time this season in all competitions at Under-18s/Under-19s level.
Summer signing Chido Obi-Martin was named in the matchday squad for a Youth League fixture for the first time this season but he failed to make it off the bench.
United will get the chance to try and flip the tie on its head when the two sides meet again in the second leg at Old Trafford on December 10. The winner of the tie will progress to the UEFA Youth League's full knockout stages, where the teams meet from the 'Domestic Champions path', in which United are currently competing in, and the 'UEFA Champions League path'.