Manchester United (Red Devils) | Special Thread

19 min: Liverpool enjoy their second lucky escape in the space of a minute! Mkhitaryan drifts inside menacingly for the first time, Liverpool granting him too much space, and he spots a surging run through the middle from Pogba, picking him out with a fine pass. Pogba has a clear sight of goal and you would expect him to score, but he pulls the ball past Simon Mignolet and the left post with his left foot.

21 min: United are beginning to gather momentum. Mkhitaryan charges down the right this time, but his cross is too close to Mignolet. Liverpool are beginning to come under sustained pressure.

23 min: Origi embarks on an adventure down the right, doing well to win a free-kick for Liverpool. It’s sent to the far post and Lovren rises above Pogba to head the ball back across goal. Eventually the ball drops to Origi, 15 yards out and unmarked, but he snatches at his shot and it dribbles through to De Gea. He might have done better.

RRONDO said:

Timu inaanza time wasting tactics dakika za mwanzo!

Click to expand...

Tulia the kops wafanye mambo!....Liverpool

24 min: Liverpool have woken up a bit in the last few minutes. Can and Henderson link up neatly in midfield, the latter dodging a couple of challenges before hoisting a ball from left to right over the top of the United defence for Alexander-Arnold, who’s peeled behind Martial. His first touch is good, setting him up for a shot with his left foot, but Martial recovers to block it.

Pogba anasababisha penalt

[HASHTAG]#POGBA[/HASHTAG]

red+ red = blue

Ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaa!....bado goli 2 kudadeki!....man fongo nyie

16:28


25 min: Jones dallies for no good reason as Firmino presses him near United’s area, but he just about manages to stop the Brazilian from bursting clear on goal. Lallana was always lurking with intent and Rojo was out of position. But Liverpool do win a corner. And...

PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL!
26 min: Milner swings the corner high into the area and Paul Pogba, who has looked defensively iffy at set pieces so far, jumps and clearly handles it! Michael Oliver points to the spot!

GOAL! Manchester United 0-1 Liverpool (Milner pen, 27 min)
James Milner shows no nerves in front of the Stretford End, confidently slamming his penalty to the left of De Gea with his right foot. The goalkeeper went the right way, but he couldn’t get close to it and Liverpool lead!

29 min: Old Trafford is stunned, save for the noisy pocket of Liverpool fans in the away end. They’re making all the noise now. What a gift from one of the most expensive players in the world, though!

31 min: Lovren tackles Ibrahimovic well before lunging into a challenge with Martial as he tries to win the second ball. He catches Martial and United’s players instantly crowd Michael Oliver, trying to get Lovren sent off, but unfortunately Mike Dean isn’t the referee today. Lovren’s booked and United win a corner from the resulting free-kick.

32 min: Mkhitaryan’s corner from the right’s headed away at the near post by Klavan but Herrera seizes on the loose ball in front of the dozy Origi, who brings him down on the edge of the area! That was so close to being a penalty, but this is still a magnificent opportunity for Manchester United to equalise. Zlatan Ibrahimovic will fancy his chances. The free-kick is 18 yards from goal and in a central position.

33 min: Ibrahimovic lines up the free-kick and manages to hammer it low and hard past the wall, as expected, but Mignolet responds superbly, diving to his right to push the ball away for a corner. That’s an excellent save. Liverpool need to calm down. They do so by dealing with the corner.

35 min: Origi goes on a foray down the left and wins a corner for Liverpool. Pogba might be advised to stay well away from United’s area this time. He’s in the mix again, though. Luckily for United, Milner’s corner is too close to De Gea.

36 min: Another corner, this time to United on the right. Mkhitaryan’s cross comes to nothing, though. “Not sure what Pogba was doing there,” says JR in Illinois. “Also not sure what he’s doing with his hairdo. Why a yellow stripe? Is he trying to colour-coordinate with Liverpool’s strip? Seems an odd choice.”