Pepe Reina returned to Liverpool as the head coach of Villarreal's U19s, with the UEFA Youth League clash a game where neither side created too many clear-cut chances

Pepe Reina returned to Liverpool as head coach of Villarreal U19s, with the popular goalkeeper now in charge of the second team at one of his former clubs in Spain.

But while the game was well-contested, there were no goals to report in the UEFA Youth League. An even start in the driving rain saw Ollie O'Connor drag a shot wide from a promising position for Liverpool. Finn Inglethorpe also got on the end of a low cross after determined work from Will Wright to chase down a loose ball.

Raul Garcia then drew a decent save from Bailey Hall with a low drive that skipped along the turf, but neither side came particularly close to breaking the deadlock in the first 45.

Liverpool fielded a trio of exciting attackers in Wright, Inglethorpe and Josh Sonni-Lambie, who have all proven themselves to be prolific in front of goal in recent times, but it wasn't quite clicking.

Sonni-Lambie should have played Wright in with one counter-attack late-ish in the first half, but he forced his teammate too far wide with a poor pass that was overhit.

After a goalless first half of few chances, Liverpool stepped it up a little, putting a couple of good crosses into the box that Wright was unfortunate not to make more of.

In the center, 15-year-old Luca Eden, who scored and assisted against LASK last week, once again looked far from out of place. Indeed, as the second half progressed, he grew more and more heavily involved.

A quick free-kick after he drew a foul set up a shot from Sonni-Lambie that was pushed away, and the Liverpool forward volleyed wide. Erik Farkas, the Hungarian midfielder, also offered some extra drive in the middle when he was introduced, and he could have scored himself from close range.

The best chance of the game for the visitors fell to Villarreal midfielder Moussa Traore, who could only steer an effort over the bar from close range with the ball off the ground, and so it finished goalless.

After a draw with Atletico Madrid and a win over LASK, the result leaves Liverpool in a decent position to qualify for the knockout stages.

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Each team in the Youth League group phase plays six matches, mirroring the opening six Champions League clashes that its senior side faces. That means Liverpool still has Fenerbahce, Club Brugge and Porto left to play.

The positive was that Liverpool more than held its own against a Villarreal team who had already beaten Borussia Dortmund away from home in this competition and hammered Napoli 5-0 in its last outing. The drawback was that it couldn't quite find a winner.

Liverpool: Hall, Cisse, Conde, Ndiaye, Ayman, Eden, O'Connor, Upton, Inglethorpe, Sonni-Lambie, Wright. (Subs used: Yeguo, Farkas)

Villarreal: Polo, Montanet, Anadon, Traore, Garcia, Roca, Guillamon, Borrero Barrios, N'Diaye, Carrasco Gonzalez, Perez. (Subs used: Llopis, Rodriguez, Kisak, Vidal, Kone)