Liverpool youngsters in heated brawl as Ben Doak gets ‘bloody lip’

Klopp clarifies comments over Liverpool 'future'

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Liverpool’s UEFA Youth League clash with FC Porto took a violent turn on Wednesday evening as players were caught up in a brawl after the Reds clinched a penalty-shootout victory. Prodigious talent Ben Doak was among the chaos as cameras caught him walking away from the scuffle with a bloody lip. 

Liverpool U19 hosted Porto U19 for a place in the UEFA Youth League quarter-finals and it was the away side that struck first through Jorge Meireles. The Reds were soon back on terms, however, when Melkamu Frauendorf equalised in the second half. 

With the match still level, extra-time was required and the encounter began to boil over when two Porto stars received straight red cards in the 102nd minute. 

It eventually went to a tense penalty battle which Liverpool won 6-5, although a heated brawl quickly broke out when it was decided on a Porto miss. 

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Reds youngsters ran onto the scene to celebrate after the effort hit the crossbar, confirming their passage to the quarter-finals, although Doak became separated from his team-mates, who soon realised that the mood had turned sour. 

Rushing to the youngster’s aid, Doak was at the centre of the scuffle which saw punches thrown and needed dozens of staff members to break up. Footage then showed the damage sustained by the 17-year-old as he walked away with a busted lip, with a third Porto player receiving their matching orders after the final whistle. 

Doak is one of the hottest names in Liverpool’s academy, having made his debut for Celtic just after his 16th birthday. The Reds supposedly shelled out £600,000 to sign him last year and the winger already has a healthy amount of senior football under his belt at Anfield. 

Despite his tender age, the Scotsman has come off the bench for the first team five times this campaign, including two substitute appearances in the Premier League. Klopp piled praise on Doak after he featured against Derby County in the Carabao Cup earlier this season. 

“He is really a lively boy, a smart player, a good dribbler, he can pass and use both feet,” explained the Liverpool boss. “He was good. It was nice to watch him. A lot of things are obviously natural to him, which is really helpful. 

“I’m pretty sure his family were at Anfield to watch, I remember meeting them when we signed him. I remember how excited everybody was. Having a night like this is the next step. It’s cool. He showed up, obviously.”

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