Barclays U21 Premier League 2016: Thursday Result, Latest Table and Fixtures
Sheyi Ojo scored twice to guide Liverpool to a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough during Thursday's Barclays Under-21 Premier League action.
Middlesbrough dominated large stretches of the match and deservedly took the lead through Arnel Jakupovic just after Cameron Brannagan was sent off in the first half.
The Reds fought back and equalised through Ojo early in the second half, and the forward decided the match from the penalty spot in injury time.
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All eyes will be on Saturday's rivalry match between Manchester United and Manchester City, while Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion will also be in action. Here's a look at the upcoming Premier League under-21 schedule:
| Saturday, Feb. 20 | 1 p.m. GMT/8 a.m. ET | Manchester City U21 | Manchester United U21 |
| Saturday, Feb. 20 | 2 p.m. GMT/ 9 a.m. ET | Stoke City U21 | West Brom U21 |
| Monday, Feb. 22 | 1 p.m. GMT/8 a.m. ET | Newcastle Utd U21 | Fulham U21 |
| Monday, Feb. 22 | 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET | Aston Villa U21 | Swansea U21 |
| Monday, Feb. 22 | 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET | Blackburn U21 | Arsenal U21 |
| Monday, Feb. 22 | 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET | Derby U21 | Brighton U21 |
| Monday, Feb. 22 | 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET | Everton U21 | Middlesbrough U21 |
| Sunday, Feb. 22 | 12 p.m. GMT/7 a.m. ET | Liverpool U21 | Sunderland U21 |
| Monday, Feb. 22 | 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET | Southampton U21 | Reading U21 |
| Monday, Feb. 22 | 7 p.m. GMT/2 p.m. ET | Wolves U21 | West Ham U21 |
The current standings:
| 1 | Manchester United U21 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 11 | +23 | 34 |
| 2 | Sunderland U21 | 15 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 11 | +17 | 32 |
| 3 | Everton U21 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 18 | +5 | 23 |
| 4 | Manchester City U21 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 25 | 19 | +6 | 21 |
| 5 | Reading U21 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 25 | 28 | -3 | 21 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur U21 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 33 | 34 | -1 | 20 |
| 7 | Chelsea U21 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 20 | +4 | 18 |
| 8 | Liverpool U21 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 24 | -6 | 18 |
| 9 | Southampton U21 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 31 | -9 | 15 |
| 10 | Middlesbrough U21 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 20 | +1 | 13 |
| 11 | Norwich City U21 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 36 | -18 | 12 |
| 12 | Leicester City U21 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 36 | -19 | 12 |
Recap
Middlesbrough will feel hard done by following Thursday's result after the team dominated Liverpool for most of the match only to suffer heartbreak in the final minutes.
As shared by Middlesbrough's official Twitter account, the Reds fielded a strong side, including a number of players who have already featured for the senior team, such as Brannagan and Jon Flanagan. There was also room for veterans like Adam Bogdan and Jose Enrique:
Little happened during the first 28 minutes of the match, but there was plenty of drama to be found toward the end of the first half. First, Jordan Jones received a penalty after Joe Maguire fouled him inside the box, but Bogdan showed his class by producing a fine save.
Minutes later, Brannagan received his marching orders for a body check near the Liverpool box, and Jakupovic put away the resulting free-kick to continue his hot form and hand Middlesbrough the lead.
Per BoroStats, Jakupovic just can't stop scoring:
Boro continued to look the better team and came close to adding a second goal before half-time, but Bogdan did well to deal with Harry Chapman's long-range effort.
Minutes into the second half, Ojo tied things up for the Reds, cutting inside before producing a smart finish into the bottom corner. The goal set the tone for a strong spell for Liverpool, who didn't seem to mind being down a man all that much.
The best chances fell to Middlesbrough, however, with Bogdan pulling off several saves to keep his team in the match. And deep into injury time, the Reds were handed a penalty when Callum Johnson brought down Brooks Lennon, allowing Ojo to win Liverpool the match from the penalty spot.
The U21 Premier League will return on Saturday with one of the most anticipated matches of the season, as Manchester City try to halt city rivals United's strong run and keep their Group 1 title chances alive.
