Youth League preview: 'This is a headline tie and hopefully a really ...

With just two games remaining in the league phase and 22 teams qualifying for the knockout stage, the young Reds sit in 16th place in the table.

So far, Lewtas' charges have beaten Bologna and Bayer Leverkusen at the Academy, drawn away to AC Milan and lost at RB Leipzig.

Subscribers can watch their clash with Real on Wednesday live on LFCTV and LFCTV GO, with kick-off set for 3pm GMT in Kirkby.

Ahead of the encounter, Liverpoolfc.com spoke to head coach Lewtas about the campaign so far in the Youth League, the impressive 4-1 win over Leverkusen last time out, and the challenge of facing Real…

On the excellent victory against Leverkusen earlier this month…

I thought we were really good. It was a game we had a lot of control of, we went a goal down but over the course of the game we were the dominant team in and out of possession and we were well worthy of the win. We scored some excellent goals.

In those types of games, and it's important in every game but especially in this competition, when you get chances you need to take them. Sometimes momentum can go the other way and I just felt the goals created more momentum for us and gave us more control. We were very much the team in the ascendancy throughout the game.

On Trent Kone-Doherty looking sharp again after his injury and netting an excellent goal versus Leverkusen…

I think we have been able to phase Trent back really well with the amount of games he has been playing, and the U19s is really good for him. He has shown moments in all of the games he has played but it was good for him to get his goal.

On the Academy main pitch being a good charm for the young Reds in this competition over the years…

In this competition your home form is very important, as going away from home is difficult. We got a good point at AC Milan but then we were beaten in Leipzig. You do have to rely on your home form, it is your bread and butter.

On managing two different teams on consecutive nights, with the tie against Leverkusen being followed the next evening by the U21s' trip to Blackpool in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, where the Reds got a win on penalties after a draw…

We did well in trying to manage the players in terms of who would be involved in each game, a little bit more difficult for the coach let me tell you! But the players managed that really well and in those two days we had a fantastic win over Bayer Leverkusen, and then to go to Blackpool and win on penalties, I thought we were excellent that night too. It was a fantastic two days for us and credit to the staff as well because to turn that around in such a short space of time is not as easy as it sounds, so credit to all involved.

On facing Real in the Youth League…

It's exciting. As soon as the draw was made and we kind of made sense of this new format, to know we were going to face Real Madrid, it was a really good draw of high-calibre games. I think Liverpool versus Real Madrid is certainly a headline tie. There is no surprises with Real, they are good. I'm pretty sure they will have watched our games and we have played really well at times, so what it is will be two good teams hopefully producing a really good game.

On his thoughts on the competition so far with just two games to go in the league phase…

Obviously it was the unknown for all of us in terms of the new format. With the old format you could kind of work out by game five what you needed. One thing this format has given us is the opportunity to play against six different teams, which is always good.

I still think the away games in this competition are difficult and brings different challenges, but this is a real good platform for the lads and a really good opportunity to showcase what they are capable of. We've got two games left to try to get as many points as we can.

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