When the Premier League fixtures are announced, the one clash that millions of fans across the globe frantically search for is this -?Manchester United vs Liverpool. England’s two most successful clubs lock horns together in a battle for a lot more than just 3 points.
A?rivalry which ranks up there among the fiercest in the world. No other match-up receives the kind of anticipation and passion that this one gets season after season. United vs Liverpool is a?fixture that has seen 19 red cards and countless fights in the Premier League.
This battle for bragging rights has resulted in a few glorious matches in the past. As Manchester United once again welcome their bitter rivals Liverpool at the Theater of Dreams, we take a look at a list of some of the truly memorable?matches between the two sides at Old Trafford in Premier League history.
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Manchester United were ahead ?minutes before half time through a Dimitar Berbatov header. A second half goal fest followed. The Red Devils?started with the Bulgarian Berbatov on target yet again,?putting them 2 goals in front, in the 58th minute. The then United record-signing found himself perfectly placed to control?Nani’s pin point cross with his chest and finished the goal with an acrobatic overhead kick. Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina failed to read the?situation well and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
Then, something that happens so often, Liverpool captain?Steven Gerrard heroically scored two goals in space of 6 minutes to get the Merseysiders back on level?terms.?But the final twist was yet to unfold as just 6 minutes from the final whistle,?Berbatov completed his brilliant hat-trick by exhibiting a great display of his aerial ability as he met John O?Shea?s cross with a towering leap over Jamie Carragher to secure victory for Manchester?United in one of the most nail-biting encounters ever between the two.
Manchester United took the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo’s spot kick as result of Pepe Reina’s foul on winger Park Ji Sung. But the game slowly started shifting towards the visitors favour with an equaliser coming against the run of play with Fernando Torres taking advantage of a momentary United lapse in concentration in the United defence.
Torres then turned provider when a great ?pass for Gerrard tempted Patrice Evra to take down the player instead of the ball and concede a rare home penalty, just before the half time whistle. Gerrard stepped up himself and scored like he usually does and proceeded to perform one of the most remembered and iconic celebrations in Premier League history as he laid a kiss on the camera.
United were put in further trouble as another mistake led to the ball at Gerrard’s feet with just the goal ahead. United defender Nemanja Vidic hacked him down, upon which the referee didn’t have to think twice before brandishing a red card for the Serb. The situation turned from bad to worse as Fabio Aurelio converted the resulting?free-kick before Andrea Dossena put the nail on the coffin in the?final minute by chipping Edwin van der Sar straight from a Reina clearance.
But alas, United had the last laugh as they went on to lift the League title, with the Merseysiders in second spot.
The build-up to this clash was centered around the racism row between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra. Further controversy followed?when Suarez refused to shake hands with Evra?before the kick off.
The match turned out to be a nightmare for Liverpool as Wayne Rooney struck twice in the opening four minutes of the second half, the first of which was off Giggs’s corner, touched off Jordan Henderson into the path of Rooney, who volleyed powerfully past Reina. Rooney doubled the lead 4 minutes later when he was on hand to turn home Antonio Valencia’s pass.
Suarez almost seemed to have stolen more headlines as he pulled a goal back for the visitors late in the game, but United held on for the win. Patrice Evra took a lap of elation throughout the stadium as celebrations.
A season which Liverpool fans will never forget. Liverpool so narrowly missed out on their first Premier League title. This clash at Old Trafford saw the rampant Merseysiders against a struggling United under David Moyes. Steven Gerrard scored two penalties and missed a third one which came after Nemanja Vidic was given his 4th red card in this fixture for bringing down Daniel Sturridge.
The?Reds were easily able to carry on the winning spree as they were taking full advantage of their numerical supremacy and it was no surprise when Suarez ran unnoticed into the area to score their third goal and finally seal a huge victory. Moyes was criticized and booed by home fans at the end of the game.
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A dominant performance by Sir Alex Ferguson’s men saw them thrashing their bitter rivals by 3 goals. Wayne Rooney was denied a penalty in the opening few minutes. Pepe Reina’s error then allowed Wes Brown to head home Rooney’s cross after 34 minutes.
Then, typical of this fixture, Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano was controversially shown a second yellow card at the stroke of half-time for dissent.
10-man Liverpool couldn’t handle the threat from the man who would go on to win his first Ballon d’Or that year. Cristiano Ronaldo capitalised on another mistake from Reina and United went 2-0 up in the 79th minute. The 3rd goal was added by?Nani’s stunning shot past Reina to put cherry on the cake for Manchester United.
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The season proved to be a memorable one as United went on to win the Champions League in Moscow.
