Wilson at the double in impressive u23 win

Report by Alex Olsen, in Horne, Denmark.

Liverpool U23s beat Odense in Denmark 2-1 on Wednesday night courtesy of two goals from Welshman Harry Wilson. Even without players such as Ovie Ejaria and Trent Alexander-Arnold a young Reds side beat Odense who are yet to lose after five rounds of the Danish season on a sunny evening in Horne 2-1.

A crowd of 2,412 people - many of them in red shirts - watched the home side take control of the early stages. Perhaps to little surprise as many of the names in the Odense starting XI were first choice players.

Liverpool lined up in a 4-4-2 with Brooks Lennon partnering Ben Woodburn up front and it was the 16 year old Welshman who had the first opportunity, a lob which went over.

OB carved up Liverpool on a couple of occasions with neat passing moves and forward Anders K Jacobsen perhaps should have done better when he found himself with space in the box. He fired a low shot just wide of Caoimhin Kelleher's far post.

Jordan Williams made his mark early and was late into a challenge on Jens Jakob Thomasen who had to be carried off with what looked like a knee injury. Williams, born in 1995 and so the oldest Liverpool player in the squad, was booked after another late challenge later in the first half.

Liverpool coach Michael Beale will have been happy with the tempo in a testing first half which Liverpool grew into. Woodburn was sent through on the right but his cutback found no one. Shortly afterwards Harry Wilson, starting the game on the right wing, had his long range effort saved.

Woodburn and Wilson were, however, soon to put Liverpool ahead. Odense strangely left nobody back on a corner and when Kelleher caught it and launched a long kick Woodburn was able to use his lightening pace to good effect reaching the ball first. He cut in from the right onto his left foot and drew a challenge - penalty to Liverpool.

Captain Wilson stepped up and fired a low shot past the keeper. 1-0 Liverpool just before half time.

Odense made five changes at half time but Liverpool were unchanged after the break. Odense keeper Michael Falkesgaard should have come out of his goal to collect a Liverpool through ball but didn't and Lennon was able to square the ball for Wilson who found himself with an easy tap-in for his second of the night.

He would later spurn a couple of decent chances for his hat-trick but the Odense keeper pulled off decent saves.

Odense were back in the game four minutes later when Jacob Barrett Laursen, just returned back to Denmark from Olympic duty with Denmark, cooly slotted past Kelleher.

The home side smelled a way back in the game and young Irish keeper Kelleher was forced into two brilliant saves from Edmundsson and Barrett Laursen to keep the Reds 2-1 up.

There were one or two nervous moments in the Liverpool box towards the end but the young Reds stood firm and came away with a 2-1 win after putting in a solid performance.

Our star man was Harry Wilson who looked focused and caused the Danish defence problems throughout. The Welshman has, hopefully, a big season ahead of him after dealing with injury problems last year.

His young compatriot Ben Woodburn also showed again why he is so highly regarded within the club.

Liverpool U23s (4-4-2): Kelleher; Whelan, N Phillips, Maguire (71. Lewis), Garcia; Wilson, Williams (61. A Phillips), Virtue, Hart (85. Garton); Lennon, Woodburn (71. Camacho)