Liverpool Vs Manchester United Liveblog

By: Rob | September 12th, 2008

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited. The Prems Superclassico if you will, the two biggest teams in the country, with the two biggest histories face off. You know Fergie is fired up for no fixture more than this one. Full Liveblog after the jump.

Liverpool 2 – 1 Manchester United

Carlos Tevez (United) 3
Wes Brown o.g 26
Ryan Babel (Liverpool) 77

Full Time – Liverpool get thier first win against Man United in absolute ages. Second Half, Liverpool were much much the better team. First half United started very strongly, but after VDS’s error leading to Liverpool’s first goal, seemed to loose all confidence. Liverpool go into the Champions League on a high, United have to pick themselves up for it. Thanks for everyone who has read, I enjoyed it, hope you did.

90 + 3 – Corner to United, VDS forward, but cleared at the near post by Gerrard. Throw comes in and Rooney drags his shot wide. Gotta be it.

90 + 2 – Babel plays in Kuyt, who should score, but really he just hits VDS.

90+1 – Gerrard drills the FK low and Keane gets a touch, wide again.

90 – RED CARD. Vidic is sent off. Second yellow card, Vidic flown into an ariel challenge and flattened whoever the Liverpool player was.

89 – Great pass from Alonso to Kuyt but the latter is only thinking about the corner flag.

86 – Masch off, Hyppia on. We will see No Torres.

84 – Bit of choas here, Liverpool tried to make a sub, with Robbie Keane coming off, but just as the board went off, Rafa went crazy and basically pulled the fourth official down to get him to stop, he noticed that Mascherano has a knock, and this would be sub number three.

82 – Babel flicks it past the defender, gives it Keane, who still can’t score.

80 – Tevez and Rooney linking up well, Rooney’s shot blocked though. Nani is booked after Masch breaks and makes the most of Nani’s tackle.

78 – Vidic could have been sent off there, a break comes through and as Masch (?) is on his way down, Vidic sticks his leg out to make sure. The ref clearly thought Ferdinand could get back though, as its only yellow.

Nani on for the aforementioned knackered Anderson.

76 – GOAL - Supersub Ryan Babel scores at the Kop. Masch beats Ryan Giggs down the wing, gives it to Kuyt, who slides it across to Babel. 2-1.

75 – Liverpool knocking the ball around nicely, a good cross is cleared by Ferdinand though.

73 – Giggs passes to Anderson who is knackered and can’t run after it. Giggs shakes his head dissaprovingly

Ryan Babel, rather than Torres is coming on. Reiera is coming off. Some gesturing is going on between Reiera and Gerrard, not sure what that’s all about.

69 – Gerrard’s first touch is to loose it, and it falls to Giggs who lets it bounce and tries to volly in from 30 yards, would have been magnificent, Reina does well to get to it.

68 – Giggs dances into the box blasts across to noone.

Benayoun off, Gerrard on. So Gerrard is either RW, or Kuyt is and Gerrard is up front…

66 – Gerrard is about to come on for Liverpool.

65 – United Sub, Scholes off, Hargreaves On.

64 – Just seen Carrick, he’s on crutches. Didn’t realise it was quite that bad, considering he tried to run it off.

Owen Hargreaves is going to be on shortly.

61 – Another blasted shot in, this time from Martin Skirtl. VDS Saves.

60 – Torres and Gerrard warming up, what a boost for Liverpool if they could bring one or both on now.

59 – Long hanging FK from Giggs, goes over everyone’s head, including Reina who flapped at it.

58 – Aurellio gets away from Rooney but he’s offside. Now there’s an odd sentence.

57 – Belted in from Reira, caught by VDS. Berbatov seems to have a bit of a knock.

56 – Masch shot deflected in front of Robbie Keane, but he just can’t buy a goal.

55 – Benayoun put through, flag stays down but VDS comes out and makes himself big and danger is averted. Liverpool the more dangerous thus far second half.

54 – Kuyt with the long shot, straight at VDS

53 – Alonso blasts one in from the area that you know he can score from, but it goes over.

52 – Scholes blasts one in from the area that you know he can score from, but it goes wide.

51 – Wasted cross from Reira but the build up was very very good from Liverpool.

48 – Another big cross from Liverpool is headed away by Vidic, they look better now.

47 – Could easily have been a goal for Liverpool. Great cross in from Keane, deflection takes it from Vidic, and Evra does exceptionally to get in the way and get it out.

46 – Giggs is in a lovely position already, but its called back because of a push from Tevez in the build up.

Second Half KO – Liverpool get us underway, kicking into the Kop End.

Substitution – Carrick off, Ryan Giggs on. So Anderson drops to Carricks position CM.

Sides warming up for the second half, its odd watching Berba and Keane on different sides chatting.

Half Time, 1-1.

45+2 – Interesting interplay between Rooney, Berba and Tevez, but the new man can’t quite get onto the final ball.

2 Minutes added on.

44 – Liverpool have plenty of space out wide, Rooney and Anderson are the wingers for United, so possibly not that shocking.

42 – Berbatov chips in a ball to Rooney in the box, Rooney goes down but nothing in it. When the ball comes back in Rooney is offside.

41 – Hargreaves is warming up on the sidelines, Carrick is limping around more and more, a sub will probably happen.

40 – through ball from Tevez, but a fantastic tackle from Carra on Berba gets rid of the danger.

39 – Backpass from Brown nearly repays the favour to VDS, but eventually is cleared. United look a bit worried.

37 – Rooney sticks in a cross Skrtl heads out for a corner. Corner headed away at the near post.

36 – Decent cross in from Masch but no-one chancing in on the low ball

35 – Rooney is going deeper and deeper, and you can tell its him because he gets booed every time – guess an Ex-Everton now Man United player is never going to get a good reception at Anfield.

34 – Carrick seems to be limping a little, not sure if its serious.

33 – Reira drifts off the line and plays a 1-2, gets it back, crosses, nodded back by Kuyt to Keane but the latter completely misses his kick.

32 – Liverpool look a little more confident since the goal. Keane cross to Kuyt but Ferdinand heads away.

30 – Foul on Berba about thirty yards out, centre of goal. Anderson hits the FK straight into the wall

29 – Berbatov tries to slot in Tevez, but Tevez goes the other side of his defender, not quite on the same wavelength yet then

26 GOAL – A long Alonso shot is deflected in the path of Van Der Saar who dives forward for it and pushed it into Wes Brown and it goes in! Madness. VDS having a mare thus far.

25 Masch plays a risky pass cut out by Anderson but he can’t keep it under control

24 – I’m still here, but nothing but long balls and head tennis at the moment.

21 – Silly challenge by Carlos Tevez, sees the first yellow card of the day.

20 – Good play by Reria, keeps it in, dances past a couple of players but his through ball doesn’t quite fine Keane.

Both Masch and Evra are ok, up and shaking hands. Good to see.

17 – Clash of heads between Evra and Masch, both are flat on thier backs. Gerrard is warming up already on the sidelines.

15 – Reira tries to go past Brown in the box, but Brown is having none of it, good call by Fergie so far.

14 – Rooney is basically playing more and more RW, and United looking more and more 442

13 – Carragher gives a shove to Berbatov, Anfield goes mad. Carra given a ticking off.

12 – Reira goes down in the box, nothing given

11 – Controversial corner for Liverpool, as Arbeloa heads out, cross comes in VDS flaps at it, and Kuyt can’t quite finish. Good chance.

9 – Carrick delivers the first foul of the afternoon, nothing comes of the FK.

8 – Big cross from Wes Brown goes long and no-one gets on the end.

7 – Vidic misreads the step up and it gives Liverpool a chance, but nothing really comes of it.

6 – Beautiful interpassing from United in the middle, but the eventual pass forward plays Anderson offside.

5 – Throw in to Liverpool, drops to Kuyt on the edge of the 18 yard box, and he vollys wide.

2 GOAL - United are a goal up already! Great set up play in the box, Berbatov runs well, picks the ball up, and cuts the ball back for Tevez to bang in. In front of the Kop. Liverpool have it all to do.

1 – Rooney seems to be playing the right of the front three, cross to Berba who blasts against Skrtl and it hits his arm, but Berba is asking a bit much for the pen.

Kick-Off – Tevez and Berba to kick off, United in white, from left to right.

We’re due for the KO any time now.

The key for Liverpool is Riera, who’s geniune width means Kuyt can go back to playing up front.

Gary Neville is fit apparently but dropped in favour of Wes Brown, he’s gonna be pissed off, he loves this fixture.

5 Minutes to Kick Off, just been treated to loads of clips of Berbatov, he could make himself a Man United hero on day one here.

Sir Alex got booed as he came off the team-bus, he loves it.

15 mins to KO – Rafa is saying Gerrard and Torres are out due to fitness, but i have to say I’m pretty surprised he hasn’t started at least with one. But they are on the bench, and can be called upon if Liverpool are down it seems.

Sky are currently asking Greame Souness what Rafa is doing wrong, Souness is an absolutely terrible manager, its just cringeworthy. Jamie Redknapp also knows nothing – “Liverpool have only scored in one game against Man United in the last 8, that’s quite hard” – Its quite hard to not score? Against the dominent side in the country?

30 Mins to KO – Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Carragher, Aurelio,
Benayoun, Alonso, Mascherano, Riera, Kuyt, Keane.
Subs: Cavalieri, Dossena, Hyypia, Gerrard, Torres, Babel, Ngog.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Rooney, Scholes, Carrick, Anderson, Tevez, Berbatov.
Subs: Kuszczak, Nani, Evans, Hargreaves, O’Shea, Fletcher, Giggs.

4-3-3 for United, Berba, Tevez and Rooney. Interesting. Liverpool are gonna have to do well to contain that line up, that’s frightening.

45 Mins till KO – Berbatov deffo starts according to Sky. Neither Gerrard and Torres start, both are on the bench.

Big news is that both Gerrard and Torres are fit, the former having timed his op to perfection so he missed England duty and not this one, while the latter has recovered from a hamstring in record time.

Dietmar Berbatov should get a début.

Bad News – Our Master Chief, Daryl has predicted a 0-0. Good News, His predictions have been way off this season.