Manchester United Vs. Liverpool Result Report

A Portuguese one-two from Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, following Wes Brown’s first goal for United for almost three years, put the Reds in the top-flight driving seat and destroyed any lingering hopes Liverpool might have had of breaking into the title race.

After all the pre-match talk of great attacking players on the park, it was ironic that a defender delivered the telling first blow on a pivotal afternoon in the Premier League. But the main talking point in Monday’s papers will surely be the same one that followed last week’s match between Chelsea and Spurs – the relationship between referees and players. For Chelsea’s Ashley Cole and the disrespected ref Mike Riley, read Javier Mascherano and Steve Bennett – but don’t believe the hype that Liverpool’s midfield hardman lost the match as well as his temper. The storm that probably had teacups flying in the away dressing room couldn’t mask the fact United were as superior on the day as they have been this season. And last season, and the season before that…

Faced with his usual embarrassment of riches in midfield, Sir Alex Ferguson opted for an effective central trio of Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes and Anderson. The young Brazilian fashioned the first chance of Grand Slam Sunday (copyright: Sky Sports) when he fed the ball through to Wayne Rooney in the sixth minute. The United striker shrugged off the challenge of Jamie Carragher but couldn’t beat Pepe Reina, the Liverpool keeper who was alive to the threat and blocked.

The same foes Rooney and Reina went toe-to-toe again moments later but this time the striker didn’t take control of the ball sufficiently to get in a shot and the goalkeeper was able to gather under pressure.

The first card of the afternoon swiftly followed, not for Rooney but for Liverpool’s midfield hardman Javier Mascherano. The Argentine anchorman, compared to former United captain Roy Keane by his boss Rafa Benitez, saw yellow for scything into Keano’s former sidekick Paul Scholes. Referee Steve Bennett had previously taken no action when Scholes lunged unsuccessfully in Mascherano’s direction inside the first minute, giving the watching millions hope that he might let this traditionally pulsating fixture flow.

Liverpool’s first shot across United’s bows came from an unlikely source as left-back Aurelio blasted the ball beyond the top right-hand corner after a well-orchestrated short corner. The Brazilian was enjoying the better of his early encounters with his direct opponent Cristiano Ronaldo, skipping around one challenge from the Portuguese in his own half and evading another in United territory before firing wide.

Ronaldo had more joy on the left flank, switching in time to strike the post in the 24th minute when Ryan Giggs’ whipped-in free-kick from the right was inadvertently flicked on by a Liverpool defender. When play swung to the other end, United were grateful to the nick off Nemanja Vidic diverting Steven Gerrard’s piledriver over the bar.

Another end-to-end episode just after the half-hour began with Reina almost spilling the ball over his own goal-line before pushing it out at the second attempt to trigger a Torres-led counter-attack. Liverpool failed to capitalise from the corner however and were made to pay when Wes Brown, of all people, charged forward to power home a header from Wayne Rooney’s left-wing cross in the 34th minute. Reina was rocky again, flailing with a punch that missed both the ball and Brown who bravely ran the gauntlet.

It was all too much for the opposition to take – within minutes, Liverpool were a man down as well as a goal down after an extraordinary explosion of indiscipline saw Torres booked for dissent and Mascherano given his marching orders when the same offence brought his second yellow card. And all this after Liverpool were awarded a free kick in United’s half!

Mascherano was a man possessed and Benitez had his work cut out to keep his player away from Bennett, before launching into a heated exchange of his own with United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz. It was a stormy end to a fiery first period with the promise of more fireworks to come.

The half opened with Reina snuffing out Ronaldo’s attempt to extend United’s lead and van der Sar saving a long-range Gerrard shot. Alvaro Arbeloa became the first player after the break to get booked, bringing down Anderson inches outside the Liverpool box. It was close enough for Ronaldo to fancy his chances but this free-kick flew low and just wide of the far post.

Liverpool were on still on the ropes but United’s efforts to kill them off were being frustrated, Rooney having a close-range shot beaten away by Reina while a rarely deployed van der Sar looked on from the other end. There was a little resistance from Liverpool, enough to rattle Rio Ferdinand into a booking during his battle with Torres, but nothing to cause any serious nail-biting among the buoyant United supporters.

Reina redeemed himself further for his first-half flounderings with a flying save to thwart Carlos Tevez, just after United’s match-winner at Anfield came on for Anderson. Nani for Giggs was Sir Alex’s other change and the Portuguese sub swiftly made an impact – twice over.

First Nani’s left-wing corner was headed home emphatically by Ronaldo for his 34th goal of the season; then the youngster grabbed a beautiful goal of his own, cutting inside from the industrious Rooney’s pass and lashing the ball beyond Reina.

The ecstatic Old Trafford faithful chorused ‘Champion-es’ – a celebration of the Reds’ current status or a confident statement about the events still to unfold? On a happy Easter for United, it could well have been both.

Manchester United: van der Sar; Brown, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra; Carrick, Anderson (Tevez, 73), Scholes; Ronaldo, Giggs (Nani, 73); Rooney.
Subs not used: Kuszczak, O’Shea, Hargreaves.

Booked: Ferdinand.

Liverpool: Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio; Kuyt, Mascherano, Alonso, Babel (Benayoun, 66); Gerrard; Torres (Riise, 83). Subs not used: Itandje, Hyypia, Crouch.

Booked: Torres, Arbeloa.
Sent off: Mascherano.

Attendance: 76,000