COLOGNE set a new world record as 50,000 fans packed into their stadium to watch their Under-19s take on Inter Milan.
The attendance smashed the previous biggest crowd to ever take in a Uefa Youth League match.
The Bundesliga side play at the RheinEnergieStadium – the seventh biggest ground in the German top flight.
And eager fans sold the stadium out more than a week in advance of today’s match.
The previous record crowd in the competition was set last April, when 40,368 supporters crammed into Trabzonspor’s Senol Gunes Sports Complex to watch their side in the quarter-finals, also against Inter.
Despite the amazing support, Cologne lost 3-1 to their Italian opponents.
Defender Leonardo Bovio fired the visitors into the lead on 49 minutes.
The bumper home crowd were given something to cheer 10 minutes from time when Fynn Schenten levelled.
But Cologne’s young guns were undone in a dramatic finish.
Inter’s Dilan Andres Zarate Hidalgo reclaimed his side’s lead seven minutes into stoppage time, with Roberts Kukulis then adding another after Cologne pilen men forward.
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The match was one of 10 Uefa Youth League play-offs to take place this evening.
Elsewhere, Real Betis came back from a goal down to trounce Tottenham 5-1.
While other results included Paris Saint-Germain beating Dinamo Minsk 4-0, Atletico winning 6-2 against Dynamo Kiev and Barcelona losing 3-2 to Maccabi Haifa.
The round of 16 is set to commence later this month.
