Youngsters lose out to RB Salzburg on penalties | OneFootball

UEFA Youth League Wednesday, February 12, 2025Red Bull AkademieRB SALZBURG…1

(Moser 57)

CELTIC…1

(Ure 58)

RB Salzburg win 4-2 on penalties

Celtic FC B suffered penalty shoot-out defeat in Austria, narrowly losing out to RB Salzburg.

After going one-goal behind in the second half, the Hoops fought back level thanks to a fantastic free-kick from Kyle Ure.

With nothing to separate the sides after 90 minutes, it came down to a penalty shootout, which the Celts lost out in.

Having advanced from the league phase of the competition, the young Hoops faced a tough task of a one-legged away affair against one of the top six finishers in the UEFA Youth League.

Making the trip to Austria, Stephen McManus’ youthful Celtic side faced RB Salzburg at the Red Bull Akademie.

It was an even start to the match, with both sides looking to suss each other out with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.

Although the Bhoys didn’t have too much to shout home about in terms of chances in the opening 45 minute, it was a positive half with some good passages of play.

The Celts remained resolute at the back, with Marcus Gill having very little to do between the sticks in the opening 45, with a handful of comfortable saves.

On a few occasions, the home side did look to break at pace, but on two occasions, it was well defended by Hayden Borland and Mitchel Frame.

One of the Hoops’ closest moves to an opening almost fell the way of in-form striker Daniel Cummings.

The striker was unfortunate not to get a shot off on goal, following a really impressive move from back-to-front. Just as he looked to pull the trigger, the ball was taken out of his path.

The Hoops were forced into an early change on the half-hour mark as Lewis Dobbie replaced the injured Rhys Dargie.

The most dangerous Salzburg attack of the half came right at the end of stoppage time as the home side looked to take the lead late on.

However, some excellent last-ditch defending from Lewis Dobbie and his team-mates denied a shot on Marcus Gill’s goal.

With nothing to separate the two sides at the break, it was a positive first-half display from the young Celtic side.

But the second 45 minutes didn’t get off to the best of starts for the Hoops as the home side took the lead on 56 minutes, with a tidy finish on the rebound.

The Celts didn’t let that affect their performance levels though, keeping themselves in the match.

The Celtic defence and Marcus Gill produced some fantastic blocks as the home side put on the pressure as they looked to find a second.

However, with just over 20 minutes of play left, the Celts pulled themselves level through a fantastic Kyle Ure finish.

After Tom Pickford was fouled right on the edge of the area, the midfielder stepped up and smashed the ball into the far corner.

Having battled so hard for 90 minutes, the Hoops took the game to a penalty shoot-out with still nothing to separate the teams.

But it would ultimately end in defeat for the young Celts as Daniel Cummings and Jude Bonnar missed efforts from 12 yards, whilst the home side scored all four of their spot kicks.

That result in Austria brings to an end a positive UEFA Youth League campaign for the Bhoys, who exit the competition at the knockout stage.

CELTIC: Gill, Donovan (Cannon 89), Robertson, Borland, Frame, Ure, Bonnar, Turley, Dargie (Dobbie 29), Pickford (Ferns 90+2), Cummings.

Subs: Shaw, Patterson, Hale, Davidson, Hartington.

Fixtures

FC Salzburg Vs. Celtic B - Wed, Feb 12th 2025, 13:00 Match Report