A big occasion under The Hawthorns lights beckons for Albion Under-18s when they host Manchester City in their FA Youth Cup quarter-final tie on Thursday, February 27 (ko 7pm).
This is the furthest stage the Baggies have reached over the last three seasons, and Lead U18 Coach Leigh Downing will be motivating his youngsters to believe in themselves ahead of this exciting one-match shootout.
Last time out
The clash in B71 was setup by Albion’s young charges after an impressive 4-2 victory against Norwich City at Carrow Road.
Divine Onyemachi, Cole Deeming, Rio Parmar and Ollie Bostock found the net to help Downing’s men come from behind and seal a place in the last eight of the competition.
The young Baggies have also beaten Harrogate Town and Stoke City on their way to the quarter-finals.
A sensational solo strike from Ollie Bostock. ✨
Check out the full highlights of our 4-2 victory at Norwich City in round five of the FA Youth Cup. 🎥— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) January 29, 2025
Venue
The club’s teenagers will play at The Hawthorns for the first time during the 2024/25 Youth Cup campaign on Thursday night.
Opponents | Manchester City
The four-time winners of the Youth Cup come into Monday’s clash as firm favourites following their blistering form in the competition this term.
Having started with a 5-1 fourth-round demolition of Millwall, the young Cityzens proceeded with a 6-1 triumph over 10-man Leeds United to book their spot at The Hawthorns.
City are the current holders of the trophy and will be full of confidence ahead of facing Downing’s team.
His opposite number, Oliver Reiss, will be focused on navigating the challenge ahead in order to reach the last four of the tournament.
The Lead U18 Coach, who began work at the Etihad Stadium in July 2024, joined the club with more than a decade of experience coaching German side Hertha Berlin’s youth players.
Reiss’ group currently sit top of the U18 Premier League North standings and boast some of the best upcoming talent in the country.
Pre-match thoughts
Leigh Downing is excited for Thursday's occasion and hopes the varied experiences his side have faced during the tournament will stand them in good stead when they play City's star-studded academy team.
Stepping up on the big nights hasn't been an issue for the Baggies thus far, but their boss is urging them to show up once more in this mouthwatering last-eight Youth Cup tie and demonstrate what they're all about on the biggest stage.
Downing said: “Credit has to go to the boys for the performances they’ve shown in each of the rounds.
“The last time we got to this stage was five years ago, so it doesn’t happen too often.
“They’ve really stepped up, played well on every occasion, and played in some great stadiums along the way. Now, to finally get to play at our home stadium where a lot of the boys’ friends and families will be in attendance - we’ll be looking to put in another good performance on the night.
“Man City are probably the best team, form-wise, in the U18s. I think they are 16 or 17 game unbeaten, and for our lads to put an end to that run would be a fantastic achievement.
“We’re going to have to be at our best, but I think the experiences the boys have had on these nights will stand them in good stead.
“We’ve had lots of young players play in the tournament this year and it’s about continuing to get those boys similar opportunities so they can show up on these big nights.
“For the boys to get to such a late stage in the competition and, at times, we do put a slightly different team than usual out in these Youth Cup games, shows their togetherness and they’ve shown a bit of everything in the competition.
“We’ve come from a goal down, taken the lead, kept clean sheets, so we’ve had all of those varied experiences along the way.
“Now, I’m looking for them to show those sides of their game in this big match on Thursday.”
Ticket details
Match tickets will be available for Friday night’s FA Youth Cup quarter-final clash with Manchester City.
They are priced at £5 adults, and £1 for concessions, and supporters can purchase them on the gate on the Halfords Lane side of the stadium. Entry is from 6pm.
Please note, as is the case with all youth cup competitions, free entry for season ticket holders is not available for this fixture.
How to follow
Alternatively, WBA TV+ subscribers will be able to watch a live stream of the game here.
Supporters can also keep up-to-date with Friday's Youth Cup match across the club’s social media channels, with half-time, full-time, and goal updates as they go in.
