Manchester City Under-19s secured a tense 2-1 victory over RB Leipzig in the UEFA Youth League on Wednesday, hours before the senior side's Champions League clash. Having taken just one point from their opening three games, the young Blues knew they had to beat Leipzig to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout phase alive.
The result brought relief to coach Oliver Reiss, while first team coach Willy Caballero will have been able to report positively on Ryan McAidoo, a player Enzo Maresca has quickly taken a shine to. McAidoo may not have appeared on the scoreboard, but he stepped up when it mattered to make the difference for his team.
McAidoo's rise and recent setback
McAidoo was the standout player in the academy last season, and the 18-year-old effectively sealed a place in Maresca's squad with just one cameo in the summer. After returning from injury, he has already been trusted in Premier League and Champions League matches.
However, a big chance at Aston Villa went missing when he completed four take-ons in the second half but his final delivery was uncharacteristically poor. Many of his teammates also struggled, but McAidoo delivering in such a big moment would have felt like a significant step in his young career.
Instead, he found himself out of the Champions League squad for the trip to Leipzig, while fellow academy star Floyd Samba was included. Samba has been used more as a forward, yet the onus was on McAidoo to shine in the Under-19s game.
Rising to the challenge in Leipzig
McAidoo had been unable to do that in the Youth League last month when the PSG left-back was prepared for every trick he tried. From the first whistle in Leipzig, it was evident that more teams have done their homework on McAidoo, as the downside of emerging as a first team prospect is that any surprise element in academy games is lost.
After the teams went in goalless at the break, the winger made it his business at the start of the second half to raise his game. Teddie Lamb tapped in after the Leipzig goalkeeper couldn't keep out McAidoo's shot, and then his pass to Dante Headley minutes later brought a penalty.
As City stuttered towards the end of the game after conceding, the former Chelsea youngster looked to protect the ball and was unusually fired up before being taken off for the final minutes. Having stepped up into the big and daunting world of senior football at the highest level, here was McAidoo showing why he had been backed to make the jump.
Coach's praise and next steps
"It's not easy for him because he's not playing so much every week," said Reiss. "He's not in his rhythm so he needs these games and I was happy that he increased in the second half and was able to do this in the end. He was a big part of the win today."
Reiss added: "We can put results in context in terms of the age of the group and things like this. We want to win every game but at the end it's about developing players and improving players and for them having this experience and to be part of a successful game like today."
McAidoo will be back with the first team soon enough, and he will feel more confident about his game for having responded positively to the challenge he was given in Leipzig.
