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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Ian Doyle

Liverpool plan pays off as new faces help continue double European run

The pursuit of marginal gains doesn't just stop with the first team at Liverpool.

Just hours before Jurgen Klopp's side continued their quadruple quest with FA Cup victory over Norwich City on Wednesday, the under-19s maintained interest in the UEFA Youth League with a dramatic victory over Genk.

And it owed much to the forensic level of preparation that has become the hallmark of the club.

Liverpool prevailed 4-3 on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw to set up a quarter-final at Juventus later this month, with goalkeeper Harvey Davies twice saving in the shoot-out.

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A group of Academy players had been working with Niklas Hausler and Patrick Hantschke of neuro11, whose mental strength training programme regarding spot kicks and set-pieces Klopp believes contributed to Liverpool's Carabao Cup win over Chelsea last weekend.

"Some of them were involved, yeah," says Academy coach Marc Bridge-Wilkinson. "More the older ones, the 23s players.

"But it's interesting. It's about routine and it's about having something you can rely on and trust and then it's a technical action.

"Of course, it helps when your keeper makes a few saves. That's their big moment. We saw that with Caoimh at the weekend with a slightly different spin on it, but Harvey made two great saves.

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"We do a little bit of analysis on the opposition in this competition so we had a bit of an idea on their penalty taker, but in terms of the rest it was down to Harvey and his instincts.

"Being honest, I didn't really speak to him before the penalties. We have Taff there, who is the goalkeeping coach (Neil Edwards). Taff and Harvey have a great relationship."

And Davies says: "I thought we would win if it went to penalties. I have done a lot of penalties recently working with the neuro team, so I was confident going into it.

"We didn't have too much information on their team, although I knew where the number eight (Jay-Dee Geusens, from whom Davies saved) was potentially going to go. For me, I just pick a side and go as quick as I can, and hopefully it's the right way.

"You learn so much training with the first team, and we've brought Taff in as well."

Geusens had netted a deserved equaliser for Genk early in the second half after Oakley Cannonier's 28th goal of the season gave Liverpool the lead shortly before half-time.

The Reds withstood heavy pressure from the Belgians during the final quarter but are now the sole remaining English representative in the competition after Manchester United were beaten on penalties by Borussia Dortmund earlier in the week.

"It's never boring with these lads," says Bridge-Wilkinson. "It was an okay first period where we were doing some things well and some things not so well.

"Then the second half, it didn't quite work for us. We didn't get it right but you have to give credit to Genk as they were the better side in the second half and deserved their goal.

"The real plus is we have boys who don't give up, they fight and scrap and do what's needed to keep themselves in the game.

"I thought Jarell Quansah and Billy Koumetio were brilliant at defending the goal and James Norris was really good."

Bobby Clark scored the decisive penalty in the shoot-out having come on midway through the second half for Mateusz Musialowski, who was making his comeback after six weeks out injured.

"Matty was never going to be able to finish the game," says Bridge-Wilkinson. "This was his first game back but we knew he could make an impact and he did.

"When Bobby came on, he was good with his energy and helped with the defensive shape. And to score the winning penalty is always nice."

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