RVP dan Rooney Dukung MU Naik ke Peringkat Enam
RVP and Rooney Earn Vital Away Win for Moyes Climb to Six
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Manchester (B2B) - Manchester United mengalahkan tuan rumah Crystal Palace 2-0 pada pertandingan Minggu dini hari melalui dua gol yang dicetak Robin Van Versie dan Wayne Rooney.
Kemenangan melawan Crystal Palace, merupakan kemenangan yang pertama bagi The Red Devils kali sejak kemenangan melawan Cardiff pada 28 Januari 2014. Dalam enam pertandingan terkahir MU menang dua kali, kalah dua kali dan seri dua kali.
Hasil ini membuat tim asuhan David Moyes naik peringkatnya dari tujuh menjadi enam, menggeser Everton yang menjadi ketujuh. Pada pertandingan sebelumnya, Sabtu malam, Everton dikalahkan Chelsea 0-1, seperti dilansir Yahoo News.
Kini The Red Devils memiliki nilai yang sama dengan Everton yakni 45, namun selisih golnya lebih baik yakni 12 gol dibanding Everton 10 gol.
Tetapi Everton baru melakoni 26 pertandingan dan United 27 pertandingan. Pertandingan Everton berikutnya akan dilangsungkan pada 1 Maret melawan tuan rumah West Ham. Untuk menggeser United, Everton minimal harus seri saat menghadapi West Ham.
Melawan Palace, United baru bisa menjebol gawang J Speroni di babak kedua melalui gol Persie di menit 62 dari titik pinalti setelah sebelumnya Evra dilanggar oleh Chamakh.
Enam menit kemudian atau di menit 68, Rooney yang baru saja diperpanjang kontraknya hingga 2019, menerima umpan siang dari Evra dan lalu menjebol gawang tim tuan rumah.
Pada pertandingan ini MU menguasai pertandingan dengan penguasaan bola 66 persen, sementara Palace 34 persen. Namun Palace lebih banyak melakukan tembakan ke gawang yakni 15 dengan enam ke sasaran, sementara MU 14 tendangan dengan lima ke sasaran.
Wasit mengeluarkan dua kartu kuning yang kesemuanya untuk pemain Manchester United yakni N Vidic dan R Giggs.
Sementara itu peringkat tiga tim teratas, Chelsea, Arsenal dan Manchester City, tidak mengalami perubahan karena semuaya memenangi pertandingan.
Manchester - Manchester United cut the deficit to fourth-placed Liverpool to eight points with a 2-0 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The victory moves United above Everton into sixth on goal difference, though Roberto Martinez´s side have a game in hand, with Tottenham five points in front of David Moyes´ team in fifth having also played a game less. United have been no higher than fifth since the second game of the season.
Marouane Fellaini made his first appearance in a United shirt since the 1-0 defeat to Everton at Old Trafford on December 4, starting in midfield alongside Michael Carrick.
Robin van Persie put United ahead from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute, after Patrice Evra was barged over just inside the box by Palace forward Marouane Chamakh.
United then doubled their lead just six minutes later when Wayne Rooney lashed a stunning first-time volley into the top right corner from 12 yards after being picked out by Evra. Manager David Moyes yet again saw his side labour in an attempt to create chances, with the attacking quartet of Van Persie, Rooney, Juan Mata and Adnan Janujaz not yielding the expected results.
Rooney saw a first-half effort cleared off the line but Palace were in the ascendancy before Marouane Chamakh´s clumsy challenge on Patrice Evra on 62 minutes let United in the back door as Van Persie scored his fourth goal in five games.
Striker Glenn Murray made his first Palace start in over nine months and almost had a dream return but he could not turn home a deep cross in the second minute as Chris Smalling applied pressure at the back post.
United´s first effort on goal came courtesy of Janujaz, who exchanged passes with Van Persie before firing in a shot that drifted harmlessly wide of Julian Speroni´s post.
The ever-lively Janujaz had the ball in the back of the net on 17 minutes as he arrowed home a Van Persie pass but the effort was rightly struck off by referee Michael Oliver after the teenager had controlled the ball with his arm.
United were gradually starting to box Palace in without really creating any clear-cut chances to break the deadlock but it was Rooney who came close to changing that.
