Liverpool face League One Shrewsbury Town in the 4th round FA Cup replay at Anfield.
A predominantly second string side drew 2-2 away at Shrewsbury 9 days ago, a result that earned The Shrews a lucrative replay.
Even better for them appeared to be the draw for the 5th round, away at Chelsea - a further potential money-spinning tie.
Not only that, but with this week being Liverpool's turn for the Premier League winter break, Jurgen Klopp insisted he would not be utilising any first team players.
In fact, U23 manager Neil Critchley will be in the dugout representing the reds with his team, which in large part have yet to reach their 20th birthday.
Can the youngsters put the disappointment of the 5-0 League Cup defeat to Aston Villa behind them and raise their game in front of the Anfield crowd?
As it happened...
Tonight's game is sold out. A lot of supporters do utilise the auto-cup scheme however, but the club are expecting as close to a full house as possible.
Impressive considering the late decision on match date and the fact the reds will be lacking their first team.
Curtis Jones, who turned 19 last Wednesday, is named as the club's youngester ever captain.
There are four debutants Adam Lewis, Jake Cain and Liam Millar and Leighton Clarkson.
Team: Kelleher, Williams, Hoever, Van den Berg, Lewis, Chirivella, Clarkson, Cain, Elliott, Jones, Millar.
Substitutes: Jaros, Hardy, Gallacher, Dixon-Bonner, Boyes, Bearne, Norris.
Not a huge amount of difference in their line up from the first leg.
O'Leary, Pierre, Golbourne, Edwards, Williams, Whalley, Lang, Love, Goss, Ebanks-Landell, Laurent
Subs: Murphy, Beckles, Sears, Walker, Udoh, Cummings, Hart
It’s not quite Rochdale away but it will do...???? #Salop pic.twitter.com/rG6V8fZL4i
— Shrewsbury Town FC (@shrewsweb) February 4, 2020
He spoke to the media yesterday in the traditional pre-match press conference.
He was looking forward to managing Liverpool's 'senior team' for the second time, and for the first time at Anfield.
"What happens in both penalty boxes is very important and vital to the result. We had long spells against Aston Villa that we were in the game but we did not score at one end and did not keep them out at the other. We are in a results driven business and if you do not do well in both boxes then it is not a good recipe for success.
"We never know what team we might have at U23 level but have had time to prepare for this. There will not be any mixed messages and it is important we go out to play the Liverpool way.
"We will find out (how the players respond), that is the beauty of the game. Some of them have played in this environment and done well so hopefully they can continue that. Some who have less experience, hopefully they can help them, we will need the crowd to be with us.
Kick off has been delayed until 8pm.
We heard there was heavy roadworks on the M62 due to a vehicle fire and the Shrewsbury end is only a third full. They are expecting 8,000 in attendance.
Kick off incoming.
Can this ridiculously Liverpool side get something against their professional League One opposition?
Underway, under the lights.
1' Overhit ball by Elliott. Heads straight towards the gloves of Shrewsbury keeper, Max O'Leary.
8' Curtis Jones turning on the tricks. Managed to win a foul and gets the reds a free kick.
Positive start from the youngsters.
17' Liverpool's kids have started well here.
However, they started pretty well against Aston Villa in that League Cup Quarter Final who ended up running out 5-0 winners.
Technically - not the problem. But do we have the goals?
32' Curtis Jones back on the field. He had gone off after taking a knock - cotton wool up his nose to stop a bit of a nose bleed.
The reds are doing okay.
Still 0-0.
34' Curtis Jones, some excellent interplay with Harvey Elliott, and he's just gone inside the box and hit a rabona cross.
Didn't come to anything but these Liverpool youngsters are supremely confident.
34' Yellow card for Scott Golbourne for a foul on Liverpool's Neco Williams.
35' And Neco Williams comes back on the pitch... collects the ball and flashes a chance across goal!
Pace!
40' Another big chance from LFC's right back, Neco Williams.
Kept out by some excellent defending.
41' Neco Williams booked by the referee.
Liverpool 0-0 Shrewsbury
Enthralling and exciting half from Liverpool's youngsters. Curtis Jones, enjoying being Liverpool's youngest ever captain, plenty of tricks and skills. Shrewsbury have had to resort to simply fouling him.
Neco Williams with a couple of excellent chances too.
This is a proper cup tie.
'Rabona crosses!'
"Self-belief is probably not Curtis' weakness..." pic.twitter.com/8pNTCh0PnQ
— Neil Jones (@neiljonesgoal) February 4, 2020
'Turn up the noise...'
Liverpool's youngsters definitely doing their job.
— Anfield Online (@anfieldonline) February 4, 2020
If the fans now were to turn up the volume they could prove a very useful 12th man and possibly help these lads get through to the next round.
Reds back out!
Liverpool's youngsters kicking towards The Kop second half.
No half time subs.
Wonder if Jurgen Klopp rang at half time?
47' Neco Williams drills a shot over the bar.
49' Elliott finds Curtis Jones just outside the area. It's an ambitious shot but didn't have enough power. Saved.
Just prior to that Shrewsbury had a decent little period.
They look tired at the end of the first half, but they've started the second half a bit livelier.
51' Harvey Elliott fouled just outside the area. Liverpool free kick.
... straight into the wall.
53' Lovely skills from the reds in front of the Kop.
Elliott to Williams, shoots, saved.
Turning up the heat.
Another LFC corner.
58' Totally against the run of play.
Udoh has come off the bench, passes it to Edwards - shot deflected and ...
Goal ruled out... Whalley was offside!
65' Liverpool's pace starting to cause Shrewsbury problems again.
Donald Love gets a yellow card for a foul on LFC's Adam Lewis.
68' Substitute Dan Udoh causing LFC problems since he came on ten minutes or so again.
Liverpool's possession and technical ability without question - but not creating enough clear cut chances. Doing so well in the first 80 yards of the pitch - just missing that master technician at the other end of the pitch.
71' Jones twists and turns in the box. His shot is deflected over for a corner.
Corner eventually results in another corner.
74' First leg double goalscorer on.
Sean Goss replaced by Jason Cummings.
75' Shrewsbury have done it again!!!
Ro-Shaun Williams heads a Liverpool cross into his own net.
Under hardly any pressure - over the keeper and IN!
79' Josh Laurent wellies that one over the crossbar from inside the area.
The League One team are running out of time here.
82' Canadian forward Liam Millar heads off.
Joe Hardy, from the Wirral, who joined from Brentford last month is on to replace him.
Close to full capacity. Not bad considering the motorway just outside Liverpool was shut before kick off too!
52,399
Shrewsbury corner.... but Liverpool are on the break.
Harvey Elliott wins the tackle - four men on but then Elliott overhits the pass.
That would have been it.
90+1' Into injury time.
Four minutes of it.
90+2' Clarkson off and Morgan Boyes is on.
Yaaaaaassss!!!
Liverpool's youth team knock out Shrewsbury in the FA Cup! Against the odds!
Absolutely magical.
THE REDS ???????? pic.twitter.com/kV0ghla4I0
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 4, 2020
Liverpool will now travel to Stamford Bridge the first weekend in March to face 4th placed Chelsea.
I'm sure we'll be seeing lots more of some of these kids in that round.
That should serve as a reminder to Man City that LFC is here to stay. Grooming stars in our own backyard and the few world-class additions for a team that will dominate for decades, YNWA!!! LFC for life!!!