UEFA Youth League semi-finals: AZ pip Sporting on penalties, Hajduk defeat Milan

AZ Alkmaar and Hajduk Split will face off in Monday's UEFA Youth League final at Stade de Genève after coming through Friday's last-four ties.

In the early game in Geneva, AZ became the first Dutch side to reach the final after beating Sporting CP on penalties following a 2-2 draw at Stade de Genève. Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro proved to be AZ's hero with two shoot-out saves as Sporting were unable to follow the victories of Benfica last season and Porto in 2019.

Later on a Hajduk side whose fans packed the stadium saw off AC Milan 3-1 to become Croatia's first-ever finalists in a UEFA club competition. Jere Vrcić, Rokas Pukstas and Šimun Hrgović got Hajduk's goals.

Although AZ were missing key man Mexx Meerdink, who came off the bench to score the winning penalty in the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final shoot-out against Anderlecht last night, Walter Goes – an unused substitute for the seniors in Alkmaar – was in Geneva to captain the U19s and converted in the shoot-out. Sporting, however, took the lead within nine minutes after a superb swerving finish from just outside the corner of the box by Diogo Cabral.

Sporting kept pressing but AZ levelled on the half-hour, Ernest Poku forcing the ball in after his initial effort following an uncleared corner was saved by Diego Callai. Six minutes later AZ were ahead, Ro-Zangelo Daal with an effort that was almost a mirror image of Cabral's strike, swinging in rather than out and from slightly closer range.

Jayden Addai (right) celebrates with Lewis Schouten UEFA via Sportsfile

Barely had the second half begun when Sporting had the chance to equalise after Jayden Addai brought down Afonso Moreira; Chico Lamba made no mistake from the spot. With just under ten minutes to go, Callai made two crucial saves, first tipping over Lewis Schouten's free-kick, then from the resulting corner denying Fedde de Jong's half-volley. Deep in added time, AZ's Finn Stam was sent off for a challenge on Mateus.

In the shoot-out, at 2-2, Lamba this time had his kick saved by Owusu-Oduro. De Jong was immediately then denied by Callai but Owusu-Oduro stopped the very next penalty by Rodrigo Ribeiro. There were no more misses, and it was Addai who sent AZ into the final.

Key stat: This was the fourth semi-final to go to penalties, all after 2-2 draws: Benfica beat Juventus 4-3 last year on their way to the title, and Chelsea won the other two shoot-outs, beating Porto 5-4 before losing to Barcelona in 2018 and, the following year, beating Barcelona 5-4 before losing to Porto.

AZ went 2-1 up before half-timeUEFA via Sportsfile

Wouter Goes, AZ captain: "It's a fantastic feeling to have reached the final. I don't think many people expected that at the beginning of the season. The last ten minutes were difficult for us. They started off by scoring a wonder goal, but the way we came back was a credit to all the boys. It was a real team performance.

"It's fantastic for the club. Yesterday evening was really important, but so was our result this afternoon. It's a real plus point for AZ. As for my flight, it was fine. I had enough time to get my focus. It wasn't a problem."

Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro, AZ goalkeeper:"I still feel some adrenaline of course, but it's beginning to subside. Of course we're still enjoying the victory, but we also have to start focusing on Monday.

"You obviously watch footage of the opposition beforehand, but as keeper you just have to go with what your feeling tells you in each moment. If they have a strange run-up then maybe I wait longer before moving, but otherwise I make up my mind and then go for it."

Samuel Justo, Sporting midfielder: "We played well. We started off strongly and went ahead early on. Our tempo dropped off and that allowed the opposition to get a foothold in the game and turn things around to move 2-1 ahead. We started off the second half well, we had a clear idea of what we wanted to do and managed to get the equaliser.

Diogo Cabral celebrates his opening goalUEFA via Sportsfile

"We were clearly the better team in the second half, we had more possession, more chances, we got into their box frequently and won back possession more often. However, we never really created any clear-cut chances [to win the match]. So the match went to penalties and we didn't take ours all that well, although you have to give credit to their keeper for making the two saves."

Filipe Celikkaya, Sporting coach: "We've had a great journey from the group stage up until now, with many players that are now playing in the first team that we didn't bring here today. But our future is bright as a club, we had 29 players playing who have a lot of room for improvement."

Backed by a huge following in the Geneva stands who had already roared them to victories at home to Manchester City and away against Borussia Dortmund, Hajduk – with Luka Vušković and Rokas Pukštas joining up from the senior squad – posed a real physical threat to Milan. The Italian side still came closest before the break, Hugo Cuenca meeting the corner from the right by planting a firm header into the turf and up against the crossbar.

Hajduk went ahead in the 51st minute, as Roko Brajković beat his man on the right and cut the ball across from the by-line to Jere Vrcić to turn in a firm low shot. Milan responded slowly and Borna Buljan was kept busy in the Hajduk goal.

Jere Vrcić put Hajduk aheadUEFA via Sportsfile

Cuenca had a shot cleared off the line by Šimun Hrgović following a corner. However, at the other end a Brajković corner was headed in by Rokas Pukstas to double Hajduk's lead in the 68th minute.

The third goal followed with just under a quarter of an hour to go as Šimun Hrgović robbed Andrei Coubis by the Milan byline, and slotted in. Kevin Zeroli's low shot pulled one back with seven minutes left but Hajduk and their fans were soon celebrating making history.

Key stat: In becoming the first Croatian team to reach the final of any UEFA club competition (Dinamo Zagreb won the 1966/67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, but that competition was not organised by UEFA), Hajduk have won seven of their eight games over 90 minutes and the other, away to Borussia Dortmund in the quarters, on penalties.

Jere Vrcić, Hajduk forward: "I feel fantastic after reaching the final, but I am sure we are still not aware of what we achieved today. In the first half we maybe respected our opponents' reputation too much, but the coach gave us instructions during half-time. We opened up more in the second half, managed to score from our counterattacks and deservedly won."

"The final maybe sounded unreal before, but now it's more and more real. Now we have to prepare to make that last step."

Šimun Hrgović, Hajduk defender: "It is a miraculous day for Hajduk, but our whole path coming here was miraculous, and now this. But we don't want to stop here. We want to go all the way.

"After that first half, we had a talk about the need to show our real face. We did it in the second half and won 3-1."

Marijan Budimir, Hajduk coach: "It's a big day for Hajduk. The club is back on the UEFA map of football. Hajduk are a big club and this gave some joy to our fans.

 "I am happy with this win. That's why we came here: we didn't come here on a field trip. All four teams here wanted to win the trophy and our path was really difficult through the domestic path, with long trips on the way. I am glad we play against AZ in the final, as they went through a similar way to us."

Victor Eletu, Milan midfielder: "We played a good first half and we are very disappointed because we could have have won the game. In the second half we started very, very strongly but we conceded and then things started to became complicated.

 "We still had chances after conceding the second goal, but after the third one we realised that things were over. We are very sad."

Ignazio Abate, Milan coach: "This is football. For the first 25 minutes, the team was very contracted – it was the first experience for my players in front of such a big crowd, but the first half was a very balanced affair.

"In the second half we started much better. But we conceded the goal in our best moment. Despite this, we reacted, we created chances, but then we conceded a second one. This is football, as I said. I congratulate our opponents and wish them good luck for the final."