MIDDLESBROUGH’S youth team made history this evening when they became the first North-East side to compete in the UEFA Youth League, but they will have to overturn a two-goal deficit if they are to progress to the second round of European football’s most prestigious junior competition.

Craig Liddle’s Under-18 side slipped to a 5-3 first-leg defeat to French side Stade de Reims, but while they will start the return game at the Riverside as second favourites on October 21, Callum Cooke’s second-half double has at least given them a chance of making progress.

The UEFA Youth League pits 64 of the continent’s leading sides against each other at youth level. The 32 teams involved in this season’s Champions League are automatic entrants, with the other 32 participants qualifying via their national youth competitions.

Boro’s Under-18s were granted a place after they finished last season as national champions, but their inaugural outing hardly had an auspicious start as they found themselves two goals down inside the opening 12 minutes to a Stade de Reims side that claimed the French youth title in May.

Remi Oudin opened the scoring with a third-minute penalty, with Andrew Jung doubling the home side’s advantage nine minutes later.

Mitchell Curry pulled a goal back for a Boro side containing the likes of Dael Fry, Harry Chapman and Junior Mondal nine minutes after the interval, and the goal sparked a second-half scoring spree.

Oudin restored Stade de Reims’ two-goal advantage, and Boro looked to be heading out of the competition when further strikes from Andrea Marquez and Amadou Sylla made it 5-1 to the hosts.

However, Cooke responded with two late goals of his own, one of which came from the penalty spot, to give Boro’s youngsters a chance of claiming what would be a notable victory later this month.