Southampton Pertama dalam 27 Tahun Tekuk MU di Old Trafford
Koeman Masterminds Saints` First Win at Old Trafford for 27 Years
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
Manchester (B2B) - Southampton berhasil mempecundangi tim tuan rumah, Manchester United, dan memenangkan pertandingan lanjutan Liga Utama Inggris pekan ke-21 dengan skor 1-0 di Old Trafford, Manchester, Senin dini hari WIB.
Pasukan Malaikat bukan hanya mempermalukan tim Setan Merah, tetapi juga menggusur mereka dari peringkat tiga klasemen sementara. Pasalnya, kini Southampton mengemas 37 poin sedangakan MU hanya 36 poin.
Penyerang sayap Serbia, Dusan Tadic, menjadi supersub atau pemain yang bersinar dan mengubah jalannya pertandingan setelah memasuki lapangan turun dari bangku cadangan setelah merumput menggantikan Eljero Elia.
Ia yang masuk pada menit 63 hanya butuh enam menit untuk memecah kebuntuan yang berlangsung dalam laga tersebut.
Tadic sempat terlebih dulu mengirimkan umpan terobosan kepada Graziano Pelle yang berusaha diselesaikan sang penyerang Italia itu, namun bola menghantam mistar gawang dan muntahannya mendarat ke kaki Tadic yang dengan tenang menaklukkan penjaga gawang David de Gea.
Usai ketinggalan satu gol, tim besutan Louis van Gaal berusaha mengubah kedudukan, namun MU yang sepanjang pertandingan berdasarkan catatan Opta tidak sekalipun menemui sasaran dari 10 kali percobaan yang mereka lepaskan seolah kehabisan ide serangan.
Keputusan van Gaal menduetkan Angel Di Maria dengan Robin van Persie seolah menjadi blunder tersendiri karena tidak satupun dari keduanya mengancam gawang lawan.
Langkah itu harus dibayar mahal karena mereka kini tergusur dari peringkat tiga klasemen oleh tim besutan Ronald Koeman, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Manchester - Manchester United will attempt to stave off an assault on their third-place position in the Premier League table when they welcome closest pursuers Southampton to Old Trafford on Sunday.
United have gone 10 games without defeat since losing 1-0 at joint-leaders Manchester City on November 2, but they have taken only six points from a possible 12 after drawing three of their last four matches.
It has prevented Louis van Gaal's side from fully exploiting recent slip-ups by co-leaders Chelsea, who they trail by nine points, and has allowed Southampton to close to within one point.
After a run of four straight defeats in late November and early December, including a 2-1 loss in the reverse fixture, Ronald Koeman's side have won three and drawn one of their last four games.
United were fortunate to claim victory at St Mary's last month, with Robin van Persie's brace representing two of the three shots on goal they managed to muster in the 90 minutes.
But United are in much finer fettle than they were a month ago.
Their injury glut has cleared to the extent that Ashley Young (hamstring) is the only player currently unavailable, while the squad was bolstered on Thursday with the eye-catching acquisition of former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes.
It leaves Van Gaal with an enviable selection dilemma on his hands.
Over the festive period, the Dutchman devised a system that accommodated Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Van Persie and Radamel Falcao, and he must now find a way of fitting Angel di Maria into his team as well.
The Argentine winger made a goal-scoring return from a pelvic injury in United's 2-0 win at third-tier Yeovil Town in the FA Cup third round last weekend and could start against Southampton.
