Football’s First Defender

In this double-red meeting, both teams focused on their defensive performance.

Especially De Gea and Yang Feng, not just a highlight performance, but in the game, they have always maintained an excellent defensive state, relying on their excellent defensive ability to continuously destroy the opponent's offense.

Liverpool's offense in the game still occupies the initiative.

The star marks the frontcourt pressing, even though the Liverpool players put in more physical energy, they also reaped enough rewards in the first half.

Manchester United's play in the backcourt was greatly restricted, making Liverpool completely anti-off, and began to occupy a larger proportion of ball possession in the game, launching more attacks.

Since Fellaini received a yellow card early, Liverpool's frontcourt offensive players continued to make a fuss about Manchester United's central defense, and continued to attack Manchester United's defense from the front.

Although Liverpool's current three midfielders do not have subtle passing abilities, there is still no problem in advancing properly to attract the attention of Manchester United's defensive players and deliver some simple passes.

When Henderson dribbled the ball forward in the midfield, he sent a direct pass to Coutinho in front. Rooney, who had stepped forward to defend Henderson, chose to slide directly when Henderson passed the ball. The interception did not stop the direct pass. The outstretched foot was about 20 centimeters away from the path of the football.

After all, he is a striker, let Rooney come to the midfield position, organize an attack, or put in a shot, Rooney can still do a good job.

But on the defensive end, it is still difficult for Rooney to change his defensive habits and become a midfielder with excellent defensive skills.

Rooney's defensive prediction this time is pretty good, he has a defensive awareness, but he still overestimated his defensive sliding tackle speed, made a defensive move, but still missed the ball.

Coutinho moved from the left to the center, saw Henderson's pass, and directly leaned against Carrick, who came out of the penalty area to defend.

At the moment of receiving the ball, Coutinho swayed a shoulder to the left, which attracted Carrick's defensive attention.

Carrick adjusted his center of gravity appropriately, ready to defend Coutinho's breakthrough.

However, Coutinho's fake moves are quite realistic, and the speed of subsequent movements is also very fast.

After shaking the left shoulder, Coutinho immediately hooked the ball to the right ankle, turned halfway and accelerated forward.

Carrick lost his defensive position in an instant, and it was too late to adjust his center of gravity to keep up with Coutinho's speed.

At the critical moment, Carrick forcibly stretched out his leg to intercept. When he lost his balance, the stretched out right leg successfully tripped Coutinho.

Coutinho lost his balance and earned his team a free kick in front of the penalty area.

The referee Atkinson also decisively came to the "scene of the crime" and showed a yellow card to warn Carrick.

Less than half the game, the two giants who were mainly responsible for defense in the middle got yellow cards on the defensive end, which also put Manchester United's defense line under greater defensive pressure in the future, causing a chain reaction of Manchester United's defensive lineup. Limiting Liverpool's offense in the middle has become a top priority for Manchester United.

After the direct free kick, Coutinho hit the goal with a wonderful free kick, bypassed the wall, and flew straight to the dead corner of the goal, but was still ruthlessly rejected by De Gea.

A very stretched take-off and side attack blocked the football that was about to fly into the upper right corner of the goal at the last moment.

De Gea used his stable performance to ensure that Manchester United's gate was not lost.

Carrick was also limited by the defensive restrictions brought about by the yellow card, which made Liverpool more determined to focus on the offensive tactics of penetration in the middle. The team rushed to the middle again and again. It was quite uncomfortable to be hit by Liverpool's offense.

Although Liverpool has not yet got a good chance to hit the goal in the penalty area, it is getting easier and easier to get the chance to shoot from the outside.

Henderson and Emre Can's long shots from the back are extremely threatening. If De Gea hadn't continued to make wonderful saves on the goal line, Manchester United's defense might have been broken by Liverpool long ago.

Liverpool's rather simple, but very effective center attack made Manchester United's defense somewhat overwhelmed and crumbling.

Now Liverpool just need an opportunity, one that can turn their advantage into a goal, one that is threatening enough that De Gea has no way to defend.

At the last moment of the first half, Liverpool continued to attack and finally created another very threatening offensive opportunity.

After Coutinho's breakthrough in the middle attracted the attention of Manchester United's defense, with the cover provided by Sturridge's crossing diagonally to the left, Coutinho sent a kick to Sterling who crossed diagonally to the right Wonderful through ball.

Phil Jones' body shape, faced with such a sudden through ball, his weakness of turning slowly was exposed. After being accelerated by Sterling, he easily accelerated and passed, and directly got an excellent attack on the right side of the penalty area. Chance.

Between the lightning and the flint, before Phil Jones' defense on the side and rear was still in place, facing De Gea, Sterling chose to hit the goal with a low shot.

De Gea was on the goal line, once again showing his goal-line reaction that surprised everyone.

The legs split in place instantly, increasing the defensive area, and the outstretched left foot just blocked Sterling's goal.

However, Sterling, who is short and flexible, continued to rush forward very alertly after the shot.

De Gea barely blocked Sterling's first kick, but it was very difficult for De Gea who fell to the ground to make another save.

Sterling rushed forward to meet the ball blocked by De Gea, made a supplementary shot, and hit a fast half-high ball. Although De Gea sat on the ground and barely opened his arms to block it, he failed to block it again ball.

The ball flew directly into the goal.

1 to 0!

Liverpool took the lead!

Old Trafford was silent. Sterling's goal reminded the Manchester United fans who were used to winning, as if they remembered the decadent feeling of Manchester United's continuous defeat on all fronts at the beginning of the season.

But this loss was only temporary. The silent Old Trafford immediately erupted with deafening boos. They could not let the players of the sworn enemy celebrate wantonly at their home court like this.

However, the counterattack of Manchester United fans was so weak. For Liverpool, the 1-0 lead is real.

In the last few minutes, the counterattack organized by Manchester United did not have much effect. At the end of the half-time game, Liverpool finally took a 1-goal lead by relying on continuous central attacks.