Manchester United 1-4 Liverpool

Liverpool hauled themselves back into the Barclays Premier League title fight with a decisive crushing of 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The Merseyside giants battled back from a goal down to defeat the leaders in clinical fashion, Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard turning the match on its head before the break, with Fabio Aurelio and Andrea Dossena easing Liverpool well clear before the end.

In contrast, it was an day to forget for Nemanja Vidic, who gifted Torres the equaliser before being sent off against Liverpool for second time this season as Benitez's side reduced United's lead at the top to four points, albeit having played a match more.

It represented Liverpool's biggest win at United since 1936 and could yet trigger an amazing title race revival.

Liverpool were the ones who needed the win and there appeared an extra sharpness about them from the start, especially Torres who gave the Red Devils defence a torrid time.

Once Jamie Carragher had recovered his composure after being unsettled by a sudden switch to right-back because of Alvaro Arbeloa's late withdrawal, they had the edge in vital areas, the hosts no better than their nervy first-half display against Inter Milan in midweek.

Indeed, it was a surprise when United went ahead.

Pepe Reina read Carlos Tevez's through ball for Park Ji-sung well enough but came out too quickly for his own good. When the South Korean nicked the ball away, the Liverpool keeper could not stop.

And though Reina pleaded for leniency, referee Alan Wiley correctly pointed to the spot.

Ronaldo is not the type of player to waste such opportunities and duly dispatched his 17th goal of the season.

Had Sir Alex Ferguson's men been able to hold their advantage for a decent length of time, the visitors might have panicked. But five minutes later Liverpool were level thanks to a rare mistake from Nemanja Vidic.

The Serbian has been virtually foot perfect this season, so much so that he is favourite to win the PFA Player of the Year award.

But first Vidic let Martin Skrtel's long punt forward bounce when he could have headed it back into the Liverpool half quite easily. Then, he failed to deal with the loose ball, allowing Torres to nip in and streak clear, beating Edwin van der Sar with clinical efficiency.

Conceding one goal was amazing enough for the Red Devils, yet before half-time Liverpool had scored again.

Hull City were the last team to score more than once against United in Premier League combat - and that was four and a half months ago.

But when Torres tried to send Gerrard racing into the box and Patrice Evra mis-timed his tackle, the Liverpool skipper was able to convert his penalty with the same confidence Ronaldo had shown earlier.

Gerrard's glee was obvious. And Liverpool's lead was fully deserved, condemning Ferguson to his first interval rallying call in league combat at Old Trafford all season.

The Scot injected a greater sense of urgency into his team, even if there was no improvement in their retention of the ball.

Carrick in particular was having a pretty bad day, twice putting his side in danger with wayward passes.

United at least managed to generate some momentum, with Tevez almost getting on the end of a Wayne Rooney knock-back and then rolling a shot on the turn just wide.

Ferguson waited until less than 20 minutes remained before he made the introductions of Dimitar Berbatov, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

It is the kind of strength Benitez does not have and one of the major reasons why Liverpool have found themselves on the wrong end of a 14-point swing in fortunes since United returned from their Club World Cup campaign in Japan just before Christmas.

What Liverpool have managed to do this season is beat Chelsea and United, against both of whom they have now registered 'doubles'.

Any hope United had, evaporated within a minute of Ferguson's spectacular triple substitution as another woeful first touch, again from Vidic, left the Serbian little alternative other than to haul down Gerrard.

For the second successive match against Liverpool, it brought Vidic a red card and he was still making his way down the tunnel when Aurelio curled home a superb free-kick.

And Liverpool were not finished as Andrea Dossena lobbed Van der Sar in the final minute to complete a memorable win.

Manchester United 1-4 Liverpool : Player rating

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1127/player-ratings/2009/03/14/1155033/player-ratings-manchester-united-1-4-liverpool

Manchester United

Van der Sar 5.5 - His net took a beating, but to be honest his defenders didn't do him any favours. Perhaps now that the clean sheet record has gone, the floodgates have opened. The veteran could have perhaps made some attempt to save Aurelio's free-kick – the third goal.

O'Shea 6.5 - Was perhaps the least culpable of a United back-four which crumbled today. Stood up well to Riera and then Dossena, at least until the substitute put the icing on the cake.

Ferdinand 5.5 - Rio started well enough, mopping up behind the more beleaguered Vidic. His afternoon would soon become a disaster too, though. He was booked for a challenge on Kuyt and failed to deal with the long ball which played in Dossena.

Vidic 4.5 - The Serb had the strength to marshal Gerrard early on, but then things went completely wrong. He was out-muscled by Torres after dithering, leading to the leveller. The Spaniard well and truly won the battle between the two, although it was the pace of Gerrard which led to him being sent off for hauling down the midfielder.

Evra 5 - The left-back's deliveries weren't forthcoming and then, on the defensive end, he was done by Gerrard for pace. Only he can explain why he chose to dive in, gifting the Reds' skipper the spot-kick chance which he duly concerted.

Ronaldo 5.5 - CR7 wasn't at his best during the first half, despite opening the scoring with a powerful penalty. On many occasions he chose not to shoot from promising free-kick situations – although this could have been instigated by the coaches. He was a passenger during the second half, wandering around with his head down and failing to produce anything worthwhile.

Carrick 5.5 - Had a decent battle with Lucas, which he initially looked to be winning, although his opponent grew into the game. Otherwise, his deliveries were unpredictable, leading to his substitution.

Anderson 5.5 - The Brazilian was in for his energy, but didn't really justify his selection. Had one superb moment, turning swiftly before playing in Park, but was eventually hooked for Scholes.

Park 6.5 - One of the players who gets pass marks, Park's energy was crucial at times. He scampered through to win United's penalty and was busy early in the second half, before United capitulated.

Rooney 7.5 - United's best player by a country mile. He was always chasing lost causes and turning lemons into lemonade, hacking countless wayward crosses back into the danger area. Wherever he was asked to play, and it really did vary, he looked dangerous. He should be more than a utility man, though.

Tevez 7 - Another who worked hard, he played the telling pass which led to United's opener. The Argentine was involved in numerous near things, but the ball wouldn't really fall for him.

Berbatov, Giggs and Scholes came on in a triple change, but 'Pool scored the fourth almost immediately. It was too little, too late.


Liverpool

Reina 5.5 - The 'keeper shouldn't have come off his line to challenge Park and was duly punished for bringing down the wide-man. He guessed the right way, but Ronaldo's power was his undoing. He was also lucky not to gift Tevez a poacher's goal, initially fumbling a Ronaldo free-kick. Thereafter, his team took the pressure off his goal with a masterclass performance.

Carragher 6 - Was forced to play at right-back to accommodate Hyypia and started well, bravely blocking Park's early blast. However, his lack of pace was exposed on more than one occasion and he was eventually booked for a foul on Tevez. Like Reina, would have been relieved to see the rest of the team take the Red Devils by the horns.

Skrtel 7 - It was his ridiculously long ball from his own area which released Torres, assisting Liverpool's equaliser. Although he was booked, it was nevertheless a solid display.

Hyypia 6.5 - A late inclusion to the starting XI after Arbeloa pulled up with a hamstring problem during the warm-up. He did what he had to do, always seeming to be in the right areas and using all his experience.

Aurelio 7 - Covered for his centre-backs well, but his afternoon was set alight by his glorious free-kick, which put the game beyond doubt.

Mascherano 6.5 - The midfielder was booked for persistent fouling after a typically grimy game in the engine room. Perhaps not at his best, but he put himself about well.

Lucas 7 - He let Carrick get away, gifting the England international a good shooting opportunity. However, he was generally assured and eventually came out on top in terms of his battle with Carrick. Scrapped well late on to keep the Reds in pole position.

Kuyt 5.5 - It was a quiet game for the Dutchman, who somehow managed to let a 4-1 win over United at Old Trafford pass him by!

Gerrard 8.5 - Picked up where he left off in midweek. His positive runs were always a problem and they paid dividends when Evra brought him down before half-time, allowing him to dust himself off and convert to put the Reds in front. He was through on goal, forcing Vidic to haul him down and receive his marching orders.

Riera 4.5 - The Reds looked to him early on, but he couldn't make a telling contribution and was hooked.

Torres 8 - Playing without a painkilling injection, unlike in midweek, Torres was again superb. He out-powered the dithering Vidic to tie things up and, although his lack of fitness started to tell, he was always dangerous until Rafa took him off.

Dossena 7 - came on to score with a great chip, making it two off the bench in a week. Babel and El Zhar also looked lively in limited minutes.

Greg Ptolomey, Goal.com

Premier League Preview: Manchester United - Liverpool

This week's English action kicks off with the undisputed pick of the round as Rafa's Reds travel up the East Lancs Road in the hope of keeping their title dreams alive

Kick-off: Saturday, March 14 2009, 12:45 GMT. Old Trafford, Manchester.

In The Bag?

For Manchester United, a win this weekend would all but guarantee them a third consecutive Premier League crown. They already sit seven points and a game in hand ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea, so three points against their North West rivals would all but decide the title race.

Funnily enough, the Red Devils began 2009 as outsiders on the domestic scene. Their sojourn in Japan for the Club World Cup - and the stuttering form of Luiz Felipe Scolari's Blues - allowed the men from Merseyside to gallop clear at the tabletop at the turn of the year.

But a run of 11 straight league wins since Boxing Day has seen United reclaim their perch at the summit of the standings. They will hope to continue that trend when they host the Reds on Saturday lunchtime, and none more so than Scouse striker Wayne Rooney.

"I grew up an Everton fan, my whole family are Everton fans and I grew up hating Liverpool – and that hasn't changed," the former Goodison Park hero said on Thursday.

"I think coming to Old Trafford will be a difficult game for them. They know they need to win, they need the three points. I'm sure they will be up for it and we certainly will be too.

"It will certainly end Liverpool's chances if we win and that's why we're looking forward to it."

United come into the clash in high spirits and surrounded by talk of a 'Quintuple' after their Champions League triumph over Inter, but their upcoming opponents should take even more confidence from their midweek exploits.

All Or Nothing

You wouldn't have known Liverpool were struggling for form if you watched their demolition of Real Madrid on Tuesday evening.

Having grabbed a 1-0 win in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu thanks to an air-tight defensive display, the Mersey giants then proceeded to put four unanswered goals past a helpless Iker Casillas in the return fixture, thus booking their sport in the quarter-finals.

However, as is so often the case with Rafael Benitez's side, their European efforts are in no way reflective of their domestic situation. For example, the impressive victory in Spain two weeks ago was followed up immediately by a disastrous 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough. Many would would tipping a similarly sluggish showing at Old Trafford this weekend.

Liverpool haven't fared especially well in their arch-rivals' den over the past few years; in fact, the last time they returned with three points in league play was in 2004, when Danny Murphy was the hero. However, they are yet to lose against a Big Four opponent this term, and they will hope to replicate their 2-1 victory over Sir Alex Ferguson's champions at Anfield earlier in the campaign.

The Reds, who have won just three league games since their 5-1 mauling of Newcastle United at the end of December, are well aware that defeat against United would end their title chase once and for all. And Martin Skrtel has assured the Kopites that they will be going all-out for the win.

The Slovakian centre-half, who starred against Los Blancos, said recently, "Any result other than a win would mean a definite end to our title hopes.

"Despite the point difference, we are going into the match with the goal of winning. We will see if we can do it but, one thing is for sure, we are in a good mood after beating Real."

And as United would draw level with Liverpool on 18 English championships should they win this season, there is no lack of motivation for Benitez's boys.

FORM GUIDE

Manchester United

Mar 11 Man United 2-0 Inter (Champions League)
Mar 07 Fulham 0-4 Man United (FA Cup)
Mar 04 Newcastle 1-2 Man United (Premier League)
Mar 01 Man United *0-0 Tottenham (Carling Cup)
Feb 24 Inter 0-0 Man United (Champions League)

Liverpool

Mar 10 Liverpool 4-0 Real Madrid (Champions League)
Mar 03 Liverpool 2-0 Sunderland (Premier League)
Feb 28 Middlesbrough 2-0 Liverpool (Premier League)
Feb 25 Real Madrid 0-1 Liverpool (Champions League)
Feb 22 Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City (Premier League)

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United

Ferguson's defence remains light on personnel, with Gary Neville, Wes Brown and Rafael da Silva all sidelined, but Rio Ferdinand is expected to start after coming through Wednesday's win over the Nerazzurri unscathed. The very capable Jonny Evans will be on stand-by.

Rooney is likely to partner Dimitar Berbatov in attack, although Carlos Tevez - who scored at Anfield in October - may well feature in some capacity.

Possible XI: Van der Sar - O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra - Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs - Berbatov, Rooney

Liverpool

Albert Riera should return to the starting lineup after missing the midweek mauling of Madrid through suspension. Ryan Babel will most probably make way, despite a bright showing against the Merengues.

Danish defender Daniel Agger is still hampered by a back problem, but Yossi Benayoun - who hasn't played since scoring at the Bernabeu last month - is a chance to make the squad as he recovers from a hamstring problem.

Possible XI: Reina - Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio - Mascherano, Alonso - Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera - Torres

PLAYER TO WATCH

Manchester United

After his controversial comments during the week, all eyes will be on Wayne Rooney as he attempts to kill off Liverpool's title hopes. The 23-year-old is perhaps not in the finest form of his career, but everyone knows what the former Evertonian is capable of.

Liverpool

At the other end of the park, Fernando Torres will be aiming to notch up his first strike against Man United. The ex-Atletico Madrid star has already shrugged one monkey off his back this week by netting against his old crosstown rivals, and he'll be the man the Reds look to as they attempt to re-enter the title race on Saturday.

PREDICTION

The Mancs must fancy themselves to effectively close the book on their rival Reds' domestic campaign. A draw would do them little harm, while the visitors cannot afford anything but a win. With the virtual threat of elimination hanging over their heads, Rafa's mob might well produce a continental-class performance - but don't count on it.

Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool

Inter's Stankovic Looks Ahead After Manchester United Loss

The Nerazzurri servant believes his side should look forward, rather than dwell on missed opportunities

Inter have been knocked out of Europe's premier club competition by Manchester United, but Serbian international Dejan Stankovic insists they still have plenty to play for.

"It's a real shame, because the [early Nemanja Vidic] goal did not cut us off at the knees, but it did come too soon. However, we played a good match, because everyone expected Inter to do nothing, instead we created opportunities," he explained in an interview with Inter Channel.

"We need to roll up our sleeves, even if we were waiting two-and-a-half months for these fireworks. We must not throw away the championship."

Inter have a seven point lead atop the Serie A standings and face Fiorentina this weekend.

"The Champions League is a closed chapter now, but we can take positive aspects from this game and eventually resume the journey.

"Now, we have the challenge against Fiorentina, a very important match, considering the break due to national commitments at the end of March. These are crucial upcoming games, let's move forward with our heads held high," concluded the ex-Lazio player.

Stankovic and his teammates kick-off against the Viola on Sunday evening at the San Siro in Round 28 of Serie A action.

Player Ratings: Manchester United 2-0 Inter

Early goals in each half from Nemanja Vidic and Cristiano Ronaldo saw Manchester United through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Goal.com rates the performers...

MANCHESTER UNITED

Van der Sar 6 - The veteran Dutchman didn't have a great deal to do in all honesty. Inter's golden chances were missed, as opposed to saved.

O'Shea 6 - The defender had a bit of a roller coaster ride. Mario Balotelli caused him no end of problems during the first half, and the Irishman conceded a number of free-kicks. He also should have scored or played in Berbatov as he charged through.

Ferdinand 6 - Didn't look fully comfortable, fitness wise, and lost track of Ibrahimovic on a couple of occasions.

Vidic 7.5 - Gave United a dream lead by making a fool of Vieira and glancing his header into the net. From then on he was solid and composed, although Inter did get their act together.

Evra 6.5 - Overlapped Giggs all night, but wasn't really utilised properly. Did what he had to do, including a crucial head-flick with the taller Ibrahimovic lurking.

Ronaldo 8 - In Italy, he turned in his best performance in recent memory. Here he scored his first Champions League goal of the season with a powerful header, but he never quite reached the heights of the first-leg, although he always gave Inter something to think about.

Carrick 5.5 - It never really happened for Carrick, who was below par. Although his early corner assisted Vidic, he gave the ball away too often thereafter.

Scholes 5.5 - It wasn't Scholes' best game by any stretch of the imagination. His passes never really came off and he lacked composure at key times, uncharacteristically. Hooked for Anderson.

Giggs 8.5 - Like the first leg, the wily Welshman was heavily involved. During the first half he had a couple of hairy moments with arrogant flicks that went nowhere, but by and large he was stunning as captain. He drifted all over the place and was instrumental in setting up the second goal.

Rooney 7.5 - Rooney more often than not ends up stuck on the left in Europe, but he made the most of it on the night. His tracking back stopped Maicon from marauding on a couple of occasions, although he was eventually booked for his troubles. Like Giggs he was keen to drift inside.

Berbatov 6 - Was close to pulling out at the last minute after pulling up in the warm-up, and it showed throughout. Should have scored on the hour mark.

Subs:

Park Ji-Sung tracked back well in place of Rooney and Anderson replaced Scholes. These were merely fresh legs, and not tactical replacements.


INTER

Julio Cesar 7 - His defence couldn't really cope with the aerial threat, but from direct shots he did well to beat the ball to safety.

Maicon 7.5 - You know what you're going to get with Maicon, and he was Inter's main threat throughout. He ran for 90 minutes and, although he had to be covered by the centre-backs, he was more valuable as a winger.

Cordoba 7.5 - Was surprisingly good, getting across to cover in wide areas. However, he was less assured with the ball in the air.

Samuel 7.5 - He dealt with Ronaldo quite well, although he was booked eventually for giving him personal attention. Still one of the better performers, getting things moving from the back and making key interceptions, even though he wasn't expected to play.

Santon 6 - It was a massive test for the youngster and he was exposed at the second goal, losing the ball in a key area. Otherwise, it's clear that we'll see him again at this level.

Zanetti 6.5 - Foraged for scraps and worked hard without ever really making a big splash.

Cambiasso 7 - Played some quality passes and was usually available to link up. However, he never really imposed himself as he might have. He put in a good shift, but could have made a bigger difference.

Vieira 4 - The former Arsenal man was completely bamboozled at the first goal and never really got going. Hooked for Muntari at the interval.

Stankovic 6 - The midfielder curled a shot wide during the first half and might have done better with a close-range effort which had bounced in front of him. However, he was making good runs and was hooked for Adriano too early.

Ibrahimovic 7 - The Swede should have scored at some point during the contest. One chance went into the turf and hit the bar, one shot whizzed across goal and wide - he never really had the conviction. However, he brought others into play and was untouchable at times.

Balotelli 7 - Had a good game overall, although he faded badly. The youngster gave O'Shea massive headaches during the first half and produced a couple of passes of real quality. He was better on the left than when he popped up on the right, however.

Subs:

Adriano was unlucky to hit the post just after coming on, Muntari had a frustrating second half and was booked, and Luis Figo was given a few minutes at the end.