LIVERPOOL 2, MANCHESTER UNITED 0 (Europa League Round of 16)
Manchester United have a mountain to climb at Old Trafford next Thursday if they are to progress to the next round of the Europa League after losing 2-0 at Anfield to Liverpool in their first meeting in European competition against their rivals.
United manager Louis Van Gaal admitted that it would be hard to come back from 2-0 down in the second leg.
He said: “In the first half we couldn’t cope with Liverpool’s pressure.
“They had chances but David De Gea was fantastic. We gave away a cheap penalty and then it was 1-0. And they scored another cheap goal in the second half.
“2-0 is a very difficult result for us.”
Liverpool dominated the tie from start to finish and were full value for their victory after a Daniel Sturridge penalty and a second half goal by Roberto Firmino.
David De Gea prevented this Europa League tie from becoming a rout after North West rivals Liverpool recorded 8 shots on target and should have been out of sight by the end of the first half but for a string of saves by the Spanish goalkeeper who denied great chances for Philippe Coutinho, Sturridge, Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne.
De Gea had no chance with Sturridge’s 20th minute penalty after Memphis Depay tripped Clyne, while Firmino 73rd minute goal from close range was laid on by Lallana and was just reward for Liverpool’s peformance on the night.
It could get worse for the Reds after Marouane Fellaini’s challenge on Emre Can went unpunished during the game.
Fellaini could be retrospectively banned for catching the Liverpool midfielder with his arm and was surprisingly not one of the six players booked by Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo.
United couldn’t cope with the high pressing game which saw their hosts take full advantage of a cracking Anfield roar to deny them space, starve their forwards of service, and continually force errors.
The Reds did improve after the break but should count themselves lucky to escape Anfield with half a chance of rescuing the tie at Old Trafford.