Dua Penalti Gerrard dan Gol Suarez Permalukan MU di Old Trafford
Two Gerrard Penalties and Suarez Down Manchester United at Old Trafford
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Manchester (B2B) - Laga penting Liga Inggris antara tuan rumah Manchester United melawan Liverpool berakhir dengan skor 3-0 untuk kemenangan tim tamu berkat dua gol penalti Steven Gerard dan satu gol Luis Suarez. Kemenangan ini mengantarkan Liverpool ke posisi dua klasemen Liga Premier di bawah Chelsea.
Meski pertandingan berjalan berimbang, United kalah efektif dalam menciptakan peluang gol, sebaliknya The Red berkali-kali mengancam gawang United, terutama pada babak pertama dan menit-menit terakhir babak kedua.
Daniel Sturridge dan Glen Johnson sudah memesankan ancaman paling serius sejak babak pertama dengan setidaknya menciptakan tiga peluang yang salah satunya berhasil ditangkap kiper United David de Gea, seperti dilansir Bleacher Report.
Sedangkan United menciptakan salah satu kesempatan terbagus pada babak ini ketika tendangan kaki kanan Robin van Persie diblok kiper Liverpool Simon Mignolet.
Memasuki menit 34 bek Setan Merah Rafael melakukan kesalahan tidak perlu dengan hand-ball di dalam kotak penalti sehingga Liverpool dihadiahi tendangan penalti.
Kapten Steven Gerrard tak menyia-nyiakan kesempatan ini dengan menendang bola ke sudut kanan atas gawang United yang dijaga de Gea. 1-0 untuk Liverpool.
MU berusaha menyamakan kedudukan, namun rangkaian serangan Robin van Persie, Patrice Evra, Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata dan Adnan Januzaj tak berbuah gol sehingga kedudukan 1-0 untuk Liverpool tak berubah sampai babak pertama usai.
Kemudian, babak pertama baru berjalan beberapa detik, Phil Jones melakukan kesalahan fatal di dalam kotak penalti dengan melakukan pelanggaran terhadap Joe Allen.
Untuk kedua kalinya pada menit 46, MU dihukum tendangan penalti, dan untuk kedua kalinya pula Gerrard menjadi algojonya.
Kali ini Gerard melepaskan bola ke arah kanan bawah gawang untuk mengecoh de Gea. Kedudukan berubah 2-0 untuk Liverpool.
Memasuki menit 72, Liverpool yang menghadapi tekanan gencar sepertinya ingin mengamankan posisi dengan menarik Raheem Sterling dengan memasukkan Philippe Coutinho. Sebaliknya pelatih United David Moyes memasukkan darah segar Tom Cleverly dan Danny Welbeck.
Namun pada saat membutuhkan gol, bencana malah menimpa United pada menit 77 ketika Nemanja Vidic menerima kartu kuning kedua sehingga harus meninggalkan lapangan setelah mengganjal Sturridge di kotak penalti.
Untuk ketiga kalinya Liverpool mendapat hadiah penalti, namun kali ini Gerrard tak berhasil memasukkannya ke gawang MU karena bola membentur tiang gawang.
Kehilangan satu pemain membuat pendulum berbalik lagi ke Liverpool yang kini menekan United.
Setelah tendangannya yang hasil memanfaatkan tendangan penjuru dari Glen Johnson gagal karena dihadang de Gea, Luiz Suarez akhirnya membawa Liverpool unggul 3-0 pada menit 84.
Dikreasi lebih dulu oleh Sturridge, Suarez mengakhiri gempuran Liverpool dengan tendangan kaki kirinya dari tengah kotak penalti yang diarahkannya ke sudut kiri bawah gawang de Gea.
Kedua tim lalu melakukan pergantian pemain lagi, Liverpool memasukkan Lucas Leiva yang menggantikan Gerrard, sedangkan MU berusaha memperkuat pertahanannya dengan memasukkan Rio Ferdinand untuk menggantikan Juan Mata. Tapi kedudukan tak berubah, 3-0 untuk Liverpool.
Kemenangan ini langsung mengerek Liverpool ke posisi dua klasemen dengan 62 poin atau empat poin di bawah Chelsea, sedangkan MU tertahan di posisi tujuh dengan 48 poin.
Manchester - Two Steven Gerrard penalties and a late Luis Suarez strike for Liverpool put Manchester United to the sword at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The 3-0 win opened up a 14-point gap for the Reds on their Old Trafford rivals, and it maintained their Premier League title challenge by cutting the gap on leaders Chelsea to four points.
Gerrard opened the scoring for the Merseysiders in the 34th minute after Rafael handled inside the penalty box. Surprisingly, the United defender stayed on the pitch when he was not shown a second yellow card, having received one moments earlier.
The Liverpool captain was again successful from the spot seconds after the restart when Jordan Henderson was felled by Phil Jones, but he missed a hat-trick later in the half when he struck the post with a third penalty.
However, Suarez was on hand to ensure a three-goal advantage six minutes before the end.
But Liverpool were helped in their victory by another poor United display this season, with only Wayne Rooney and Rafael appearing to show any desire in the 90 minutes.
United were simply outclassed by their long-term adversaries.
Daniel Sturridge almost gave Liverpool a third-minute lead, but he blazed wide from a great Henderson through ball.
There were calls for a Liverpool penalty three minutes later when Suarez was challenged by Jones, but the appeals were waved away. The striker had stayed on his feet after being clipped by Marouane Fellaini earlier in the move.
It was a feisty opening to the game, with Liverpool in the ascendancy in the early stages.
After the visitors' busy opening period, United began to find their feet in the game with Wayne Rooney looking for the ball wherever possible. However, clear-cut chances remained at a premium.
Sturridge snatched at a 20th-minute chance after being fed in the area by Suarez's excellent through ball and then in the 24th minute, Joe Allen had a half-chance with a snapshot after the ball bounced away from Nemanja Vidic, but David De Gea saved comfortably.
Jon Flanagan picked up a caution in the 31st minute for a foul, while Rafael entered the referee's notebook less than a minute later for hauling down Steven Gerrard.
Two minutes after, the United defender was lucky to remain on the pitch when Liverpool were awarded a penalty for his handball inside the area.
Gerrard stepped up to the spot and dispatched the ball past De Gea to open the scoring in the 34th minute.
Less than 30 seconds into the second period and Liverpool were two goals up, courtesy of another Gerrard penalty.
Jones was the guilty party, bringing down Allen after Henderson's clever chipped ball into the box.
Martin Skrtel was shown a yellow card in the 54th minute for a foul on Rooney on the edge of the area, but Liverpool remained in control.
Adnan Januzaj forced a corner a minute later, which Juan Mata delivered into the six-yard area, but Vidic headed over. Daniel Agger, though, needed treatment after colliding with the Serb.
