How did Liverpool beat Manchester United at Old Trafford?

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Roberto Firmino of Liverpool (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

Jurgen Klopp’s men were on the front foot for most of the game

Three games in six days for United was noticeable on the pitch and Liverpool didn’t show them any sympathy and capitalised on this. The Reds did, in fact, show their usual best when pressing high up the pitch – the reason for their third and early second-half goal.

This gave them a two-goal cushion and it was Bobby Firmino who got his second of the game. The next goal was and will always be important in a 3-1 ball game. Thankfully for all watching in it was Marcus Rashford for Manchester United who came to the party.

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His goal got the blood boiling of us all, 2-3, game on! Were the Reds going to stuff up another lead following Jota’s miscue that hit the upright – a goal that would have put the game to bed? Or was this the one time they were going to dig deep and put up a fight for Champions League football?

It was the latter. Ole Gunnar Solskjær called the Hail Mary play out of the playbook – and threw everything forward and left little protecting for Dean Henderson at the back. It was rather strange why the stopper was in his big box but United were playing with a high line.

The punisher Mohamed Salah made no mistake and hit them on the break. This was in the embers of the game, a time Liverpool’s crippled by injury defence loses focus and either shares the points with a late goal conceded or lose the tie altogether.

Salah had all the time in the world to angle his body, wait for the ball to slow down, pick his spot, and slot in the Reds fourth and final goal of the game – the final score 2-4 to the visitors.

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