Liverpool took a giant step towards qualifying for the quarter-finals of this season’s Europa League, as goals from Daniel Sturridge and Roberto Firmino gave them a two-goal advantage against arch rivals Manchester United going into the second leg at Old Trafford next Thursday.
Apart from a 10-minute period in the second half, Liverpool swept Manchester United aside with a fast paced attacking tempo – creating a host of chances and opening up the United defence time and time again thanks to some excellent passing. The margin of victory could easily have been more, but for goalkeeper David de Gea’s heroics in between the sticks with some magnificent saves to deny Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho (twice) and Adam Lallana.
Liverpool went ahead from the penalty spot after Memphis Depay brought down Nathaniel Clyne just inside the area. Daniel Sturridge did the rest, smashing his penalty past a diving De Gea, who got fingertips onto it. Their domination got the just rewards on 73 minutes when a weak Michael Carrick clearance went straight into the path of Adam Lallana, whose reverse ball was tapped in by Firmino from around 6 yards out.
The result means that the Red Devils have it all to do when they host their rivals on 17 March, needing to score at least twice and maintain the clean sheet if they are to progress to the next round.
We share each player’s performance and assign them a rating on a scale from 1-10:
Liverpool
Simon Mignolet – 7
Mignolet didn't have much to do apart from a routine save from a tame Morgan Schneiderlin shot. The Belgian was relatively a spectator of his side’s attacking belligerence.
Nathaniel Clyne – 8
The English defender was sound and effectively closed down Anthony Martial and Daley Blind. He also made a couple of fine runs down the wings as well, helping Adam Lallana make his approaches into the United penalty area.
Dejan Lovren – 7
The Croatian can be thankful to his forwards for keeping him largely idle during the 90 minutes. He made a number of unchallenged clearances to preserve his side’s clean sheet. The only instance he was troubled was when he failed to read Anthony Martial’s run across the six yard box to meet a Memphis through pass. Martial couldn’t pounce on the opportunity, thus ensuring the Croatian didn’t have to rue his error.
Mamadou Sakho – 7
The French defender managed to come out unharmed in yet another heart-in-the-mouth display. From losing his balance while attempting clearances to mistimed headers, Sakho gave Liverpool fans a couple of tense moments, but thankfully for him, United failed to capitalise. Extra ratings for the clean sheet.
Alberto Moreno – 7.5
Moreno looked to expose his opposite number Guillermo Varela as the weak link throughout the game with some thunderous runs down the wings. He linked up excellently with Coutinho to help maintain Liverpool’s domination.
Jordan Henderson – 7.5
A very early yellow card for a high boot on Schneiderlin massively curtailed the Liverpool skipper’s impact he may have had in a fast paced game. He managed to retrieve the ball with conservative tackles instead. He did the on-the-ball part very professionally too, spotting the runs of Firmino and co. ahead of him and launching most of Liverpool’s searing attacks.
Emre Can – 8
Liverpool’s star in the middle of the pitch. The German was responsible for thwarting whatever few attacks van Gaal’s side were able to conjure up. He continually dispossessed Fellaini – which isn’t the hardest thing in the world to do. Completed most of his passes, which kept cannoning Liverpool forward and putting United’s backs to the wall. Just what any manager expects from his central midfielder.
Adam Lallana – 7.5
Lallana missed a glorious opportunity to put Liverpool 2-0 up thanks to David de Gea’s heroics. His general game was pretty good, continuously opening up United’s back-line by making those runs behind left-back Marcos Rojo. He pounced on Carrick’s weak clearance to lay the ball for Firmino to make it 2-0 to Liverpool.
Roberto Firmino – 8.5
The Brazilian was the key figure around whom Livepool stretched the United defence with some intense high-pressing. He kept churning out spaces in the United defence to make that final pass to Daniel Sturridge up front. He rewarded Liverpool’s dominance with a smart finish from a Lallana cross to double their lead and take a commanding lead to Old Trafford.
Philippe Coutinho – 7.5
A highly intense display from the Brazilian winger at Anfield, giving Varela a torrid time by beating him in one-on-one duels. Quickfire one-twos with Moreno on the wings or Firmino in the middle helped improve Liverpool’s attacking index. Tried one of his trademark ‘outside the box’ volleys in the second half, only to be denied by you-know-whom.
Daniel Sturridge – 7.5
Sturridge just about managed to beat the United goalkeeper to score the decisive penalty. He missed a great opportunity to double his goals tally but for de Gea’s heroics. Looked dynamic in and around the United penalty area, stringing passes with his teammates and looking to make their domination count. He was taken off after 63 minutes after not seeing too much of the ball in the second period.
Substitutes
Joe Allen – 7.5
When it looked as if United were beginning to keep the ball for extended periods, Allen replaced goal-scorer Daniel Sturridge in 63 minutes to man up Jurgen Klopp’s midfield, seemingly happy to defend a 1-0 lead. Klopp’s move worked, as Allen’s presence blocked any possible spaces United could have located in midfield to base any meaningful attack.
Divock Origi – N/A
Origi replaced the magnificent Roberto Firmino upfront in the dying stages but didn’t have enough time to make a mark.
Manchester United
David de Gea – 8
Another game where the Spaniard brought his side out of jail with a brilliant performance. He managed to get fingertips to Sturridge’s spot-kick, following which he denied Coutinho, Sturridge and Lallana with some unreal saves. Manchester United can be thankful to him for just about keeping them in the contest as they return to Old Trafford for the second leg.
Guillermo Varela – 6.5
A tough game for the Uruguayan fullback with Coutinho and Alberto Moreno running circles around him throughout the 90 minutes. He tried to offer something going forward too, but was unable to provide any impact even in that half of the pitch – none of his crosses found a white United jersey.
Chris Smalling – 6.5
Chris Smalling’s positioning was alright but he too found himself too slow to react to Liverpool’s pace on the offensive. He failed to keep up with Lallana in the first half, whose shot was saved by David de Gea. Critically enough, he was unable to come across Roberto Firmino’s shot from six yards to concede the second goal. A night of disappointment for the 26-year old.
Daley Blind – 6.5
The Dutch defender found the going tough right from the off as he struggled to deal with the sheer pace of Liverpool’s attacking quartet. He was shifted to left wing-back as part of Louis van Gaal’s 3-5-2 formation in the second half, but none of his approaching runs gave Clyne any significant problems.
Marcos Rojo – 6
A forgettable outing for United’s left-back as he never looked comfortable closing down Adam Lallana on the right-hand side. The Argentine always looked second best in one-on-one duels with Lallana. His first half shot from around 25 yards was badly timed, sailing high over the crossbar.
Morgan Schneiderlin – 7
The Frenchman looked United’s most fluent player on the night, attempting to send the United frontline on their bikes with some meaningful passes. All to no avail. He did muster United’s only shot on target – which was easily dealt with by Simon Mognolet.
Marouane Fellaini – 6
Fellaini was found guilty of dispossession on a number of instances in the game, handing the initiative over to the opposition. He can be considered lucky not to receive a second yellow card for a number of cynical fouls and also came very close to scoring a header late in the game, but it wasn’t to be his day.
Anthony Martial – 6.5
The young attacker was unable to produce the sort of magic his dancing feet bring to the game thanks to Manchester United’s complete failure to get hold of the ball. He failed to have even a single crack at goal, let alone one on target.
Juan Mata – 6.5
An insipid display from United’s stand-in captain, who found the pace of the game too quick for his liking. In attack, all his attempted through passes were being intercepted. In defence, he was hapless against the tempo the opposition attack set all night long.
Memphis Depay – 6
Depay clumsily gave away the penalty in the first half which was converted by Daniel Sturridge. The Dutch attacker was inept with his set-pieces as well. He did make a fierce cutting run at the hour mark to unsettle the Liverpool defence, but that was that.
Marcus Rashford – 5.5
Liverpool’s domination meant that he had to subdue himself to a defensive role for large periods during the game. His ineffectiveness forced the manager to take him off at the break.
Substitutions
Michael Carrick – 6.5
Carrick was brought on at half-time to bring a little bit of calmness to the United system, who were absolutely battered in the first half. The move initially looked like it was working, as United started to gain a foothold in the tie. A poor clearance, however, undid all his good work as Lallana and Firmino linked up to extend Liverpool’s aggregate lead going into the second leg.
Bastian Schweinsteiger – 6.5
The former Champions League winner with Bayern Munich was thrown on to bring some creativity into the midfield. Apart from a dangerous cross to Fellaini, he was never going to mark any blots on Liverpool’s domination.
Ander Herrera – 5.5
Herrera replaced Juan Mata in an attacking midfield position in a desperate attempt from United’s management to take an away goal back to Old Trafford but did nothing of note.
