Louis van Gaal possessed a cat in hell as the feline reflexes of his goalkeeper prevented his side from suffering fatal damage inside an Anfield cauldron
Louis van Gaal only has a cat in hell’s chance of progressing to the Europa League quarter-finals after this battering.
The Manchester United manager possessed a cat in hell last night - as the feline reflexes of David De Gea at least saved his side from fatal damage inside an Anfield cauldron.
A Daniel Sturridge penalty and a Roberto Firmino strike should still give Liverpool enough of a buffer to Âsustain them in next Thursday’s return leg at Old Trafford – as Jürgen Klopp’s men produced a performance which somehow twinned manic collective workrate with pure individual artistry.
If last week’s destruction of Manchester City had been Klopp’s best Anfield night to date, this was far better. A classic European night at the old Colosseum.
If the Brazilian duo of Firmino and Philippe Coutinho were breathtaking, then England’s Adam Lallana looked even more Brazilian still as United were thoroughly outplayed.
And yet De Gea, with five saves out of the top drawer, kept Van Gaal’s men in with a sniff as the celebratory flares burned in the Merseyside air.
Spanish Dave’s eardrums may have been knackered by the din of an Anfield crowd determined to make this a hellish experience for the visitors – but every sinew in his pipe-cleaner frame was used to repel Liverpool.
There were Spanish officials, American owners, German and Dutch managers as well as players from every Âcorner of the globe, yet this first European meeting between our two historic northern powerhouses was as ÂEnglish as Corrie and the Beatles.
Fixtures between these two are normally lunchtime affairs, so a rare floodlit clash was greeted with lubricated vocal cords for songs of passion and pride from the home support, menace and spite from United’s.
You’ll Never Walk Alone had not been belted out with such with such fervour and length for some time and both sets of players, feeding off the white noise, began at full pelt.
Marcus Rashford squandered a glorious chance within seconds of the start, only connecting with his knee when left Âunmarked from a Memphis Depay centre.
Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson was booked for a reckless high challenge on Morgan Schneiderlin but then, on 19 minutes, Klopp’s men were ahead.
Philippe Coutinho’s artful pass did the damage, leaving Nathaniel Clyne goal-side of Depay, who brushed him over.
It was certainly more of a penalty than the one awarded to Christian Benteke at the climax of Liverpool's Sunday win at Crystal Palace.
There was certainly ‘contact’, which is all that seems to matter these days.
Sturridge strode up, hesitated and nervelessly pinged into the corner past De Gea. Ninety per cent of Anfield went ballistic, sensing an end to Liverpool’s miserable run of four straight defeats against their bitterest rivals.
It ought to have been two within minutes when a rapid passing move ended with Sturridge crossing to Coutinho at the back stick, only for the Brazilian to scuff his shot and De Gea to sprawl backwards and claw away.
Liverpool were vibrant, United were rocking and when Roberto Firmino centred, Chris Smalling completely missed an attempt at a headed clearance, leaving Sturridge a clear sight of goal only for De Gea to smother his effort.
Smalling could only have argued that it was too loud to think inside Anfield. United could only be thankful for the sound mind and safe hands of De Gea, who next pulled off a point-blank stop from Adam Lallana.
Van Gaal, whose side were in danger of being over-run, chose to shore things up at the break, sacrificing ÂRashford for Michael Carrick who slotted into a back three.
Coutinho was correctly booked for diving but soon let rip from the edge of the area, De Gea tipping over the bar.
De Gea then pushed out a swerving shot from Clyne and Henderson missed a clear chance before the second arrived on 73 minutes.
Henderson crossed from the right, Carrick failed to clear and Lallana shifted the ball to Firmino who tucked home.
This time, even De Gea couldn’t keep it out.
Heaven knows where United would be without him.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/david-de-gea-very-nearly-7535892#rlabs=1%20p$9
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