A historic night for HJK U19 as they defeated Manchester City U19 on penalties to progress to the Round of 16 of the UEFA Youth League.
HJK U19 manager Përparim Hetemaj set up his team in a 4-4-2 to defend Manchester City‘s long spell in possession. City’s central midfielders were closely monitored and the snow-filled surface slowed City’s ball movement.
HJK’s rare attacks forward yielded 3 goals from one corner, a deflected shot and Toivo Mero‘s cool finish as City seemingly switched off from defending. Manchester City equalised 3 times, with crosses from the left finding City players between HJK’s LCB and LB or teammates goalside of HJK’s midfielders.
During the penalty shootout, Manchester City’s goalkeeper automatically dived to his dominant right-hand side on 4 out of 5 occasions, while HJK’s goalkeeper tried to anticipate City’s shots better and in the end, the team with the better keeper prevailed.
The player who stood out:
Toivo Mero (HJK), left winger born 2007
Scored the 3rd goal with a cool finish at the back post. Possessing upper-body strength and speed, he was the source of HJK’s counterattacks as his lightning-quick feet and dribbling skills allowed him to run at defenders. He also made accurate short passes in field. He defended with his teammates for long periods and struggled to defend City’s right back’s run to the byline.
Potential: AIK in 2 years
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