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Five Liverpool, Man Utd U-19s who stood out: Ben Woodburn, Tahith Chong

IRKENHEAD, England -- Steven Gerrard's Liverpool Under-19s advanced to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Youth League after beating rivals Manchester United 2-0 on Wednesday.

Here are five players who caught the eye at Prenton Park in the round of 16 tie.

Ben Woodburn, MF/FW, Liverpool

Woodburn is probably Liverpool's most high-profile youngster after becoming the club's youngest goal scorer last season, although first-team minutes have been hard to come by in the current campaign. That means the 18-year-old has to take every single bit of match time that comes his way, and he fully grasped that opportunity on Wednesday, breaking the deadlock and delivering an excellent all-around performance.

Liverpool are still trying to find Woodburn's best position. Due to his game intelligence and incredible ability with the ball, he has been trialed in a central-midfield role at first team and U-23 level, having been a forward blessed with an eye for goal when emerging at Liverpool's academy. A blend of the two positions was found on Wednesday, as he operated as a No. 10, which allowed him to display all of his best traits.

Tahith Chong, FW, Manchester United

Even though he wasn't at his best during the Liverpool encounter, there were numerous moments from Chong that explain why some United supporters want to see a first-team call-up arrive sooner rather later.

Chong, who sports a rather distinctive hairstyle, came the closest out of any United player to scoring on Wednesday, hitting the crossbar in the 39th minute with a carefully caressed finish. The Curacao-born forward is making up for lost time after suffering a serious knee injury last season. The 18-year-old made his U-23s debut last month and went on to score in it in front of Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.

Curtis Jones, FW, Liverpool

Behind Rhian Brewster, who is out injured for the rest of the season, Jones is emerging as Liverpool's next breakout star from the Kirkby academy. The 2017-18 campaign has seen the dynamic forward take his game to the next level, and he was promptly rewarded with a professional contract at the start of the month.

Jones has been playing with Neil Critchley's U-23s since he was 16 and is beginning to show that no stage is too big for him. His confidence and skill saw him attempt an ambitious rabona cross 10 minutes into Wednesday's match that nearly found a red shirt in United's penalty area.

The England youth international is a versatile option and can also be played anywhere across midfield. Against United, he operated as a left-sided forward but frequently moved to more central positions where he could have a greater impact on the game. In truth, his performance deserved a goal, but there will be plenty more chances for the 17-year-old to show what he's about.

Joshua Bohui, MF, Manchester United

It wasn't the easiest of afternoons for any of the United players on display at Prenton Park, but Bohui will be one of the positives boss Nicky Butt can reflect upon when he does his postmatch analysis.

With United never really in control of the last-16 tie, it was left to Bohui to hold up possession and allow United to turn defence into attack. That was easier said than done on a bobbly pitch: Tranmere Rovers had played on it the night before.

On the whole, it was a mature performance from the 18-year-old. While short of real goal-scoring chances, it's gives reason to why England, France and the Ivory Coast are in battle to secure the centre-forward's international services.

Adam Lewis, DF/MF, Liverpool

Gerrard doesn't expect to be working with the talented Lewis for much longer. In November, the U18s coach said: "I want to keep him for as long as I can, but for me, he's such a threat on the left side."

His rise this season is similar to that of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Lewis, who has come up through Liverpool's ranks as an attacking midfielder, has been moved to an unorthodox left-back position, though the switch has not impacted his attacking output.

"Going forward, I haven't seen anyone as good as him at that age in terms of quality and what he can deliver in the final third," Gerrard has said in the past.

Lewis worked well in tandem with Jones on that left-hand side, with United often unable to deal with the overload. The 18-year-old also possesses a threat due to his excellent dead-ball delivery.