Manchester United 3-0 Liverpool 23.03.08 | Match Report
March 24, 2008
Liverpool feel the heat as Manchester United net three, to open the gap for the title up wide, prior to the London Derby.
A 10-man Liverpool fell three-goals down to United on Grand Slam Sunday prior to the London Derby. Wes Brown bagged himself the first goal of the game with a header from a Wayne Rooney cross; leaving Pepe with arms flailing in the. Several mistakes from the Liverpool number 1 ment that the first half was United dominated.
At around ‘44 minutes Mascherano penalised for protesting a yellow after Fernando Torres fell and tried to make a tackle. This left Liverpool with ten men having Ryan Bable being the only one contesting United with a fine display on the left flank.
Apart from the goal Ronaldo hit the post and Rooney coming close twice.
The beginning of the second half began the way the last ended, United came close several times piling on a lot of pressure upon blundering goalkeeper Pepe Reina.
A Yossi Benayoun substitution for Liverpool’s most outstanding player Babel came them an unsuspected chance, several times, for a come back. Fernando Torres looked to continue recent form coming close twice, hitting one just over the bar. Gerrard also came inches away from an equaliser several times having his best long-range shot being saved by Edwin Van Der Sar.
After a wonderful display from United’s defence standing like sentinel’s under mass Liverpool pressure United made a match-finishing substitution. Nani coming on for Giggs and Tevez on for Anderson who still seemed unable to keep the ball low enough for a goal.
Ronaldo continued en route for an all-time premiership record for most goals in a season by bagging the second which appeared to put the game out of Liverpool’s reach with a soaring header from a Nani corner; which came from Ronaldo’s kick being put onto the bar as Reina made an epic save.
Nani then made a display of wonderful agility and class as he doubled up with Wayne Rooney, stretching past two defenders two send a shot soaring into to the back of the left side of the net.
In all a Manchester United dominated game left them 6 points clear at the top with Arsenal and Chelsea preparing to start a game that could end the title race finally.
Manchester United 2-0 Bolton 19.03.08 | Match Report
March 20, 2008
Cristiano Ronaldo played the captain’s role to the full with another matchwinning display as Manchester United beat Bolton 2-0 at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese winger netted his 32nd and 33rd goals of the season as the Red Devils secured a win that moves them three points clear of Arsenal and five points ahead of Chelsea.
His first came when Wanderers could not clear a corner and his shot hit the floor before bouncing into the roof of the net. His second came from a dipping 30-yard free-kick which gave Ali Al Habsi no chance.
In between his goals, United were grateful to good goalkeeping from Tomasz Kuszczak who kept out Kevin Davies’ volley.
But it was one way traffic for most of the contest, although United’s Polish keeper did well to keep out second-half efforts from Nicky Hunt and Gavin McCann.
Derby 1-0 Manchester United 15.03.08 | Match Report
March 16, 2008
Cristiano Ronaldo’s second-half strike spared Manchester United from potential embarrassment as the Red Devils won 1-0 at rock-bottom Derby.
United dominated the opening half hour and wasted numerous chance to take the lead, with Ryan Giggs and Ronaldo most culperable.
Ronaldo came closest on 12 minutes when he struck Roy Carroll’s post before Derby nearly United pay for the profligacy.
Ben Foster was forced into two fine saves to deny Mile Sterjovski and Kenny Miller an unlikely opening goal.
Ronaldo was denied twice in a minute by Carroll’s chest early in the second half, but the Portuguese winger finally made the breakthrough on 76 minutes, side-footing home Wayne Rooney’s cross from close range.
Ronaldo was denied again in the closing stages by Carroll as United kept the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
MU 0-1 Portsmouth FA Cup 08.03.08 | Match Report
March 9, 2008
Sulley Muntari entered Portsmouth folklore by securing a 1-0 victory at Manchester United and a place in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley.
Pompey only had Niko Kranjcar’s 16th-minute shot to show for after 75 minutes, while United had been denied a penalty for an early foul on Cristiano Ronaldo, wasted a host of chances, hit the woodwork and found David James in unbeatable form.
But the real drama came 15 minutes from time, when substitute Milan Baros rounded goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak - who came on for the injured Edwin van der Sar at half-time - before being fouled by the Polish stopper.
Referee Martin Atkinson, who denied the Red Devils a penalty on seven minutes when Sylvain Distin shoulder-barged Ronaldo, pointed to the spot this time around, and Muntari kept his cool to slot a spot-kick past stand-in keeper Rio Ferdinand.
Manchester United 1-0 Lyon 04.03.08 | Match Report
March 5, 2008
Cristiano Ronaldo once again proved his worth by grabbing the winner against Lyon as Manchester United set another UEFA Champions League milestone.
The winger steered the Old Trafford club to a tenth straight home win in the competition, equalling Serie A outfit Juventus’ record set eleven years ago.
Ronaldo struck shortly before half-time to break Lyon’s resistance and secure the Red Devils’ place in the quarter-finals.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were highly motivated from the off and Patrice Evra let his enthusiasm get the better of him when he picked up a booking on four minutes for a rash challenge on wonderkid Karim Benzema.
United made a swift break in the tenth minute and there was a buzz of anticipation around the ground as Ronaldo collected the ball in midfield. The Portugal winger cut inside only to see his effort blocked by the impressive Cris.
Anderson then looked to play Evra in behind the defence, only for Francois Clerc to read the situation well and clear the danger.
Benzema then created an opening at the other end, but his shot from 25 yards out flew harmlessly over the top of the bar.
Ronaldo weighed up a free-kick but scuffed his effort. The ball broke to Wayne Rooney but he too failed to find the target from inside the penalty area.
Clerc then broke down the wing and whipped in a cross from the right after 27 minutes, but Edwin van der Sar was on hand to take cleanly.
Two minutes later the Dutch goalkeeper had to look alert to parry Kim Kallstrom’s rasping effort as the French visitors suddenly stepped up the pace.
Lyon were beginning to knock the ball around and the home fans were getting anxious as their side had failed to take the opportunities handed to them.
Evra then latched on to a good through ball from the lively Ronaldo and delivered a cross into the box. Goalkeeper Gregory Coupet got there ahead of Darren Fletcher only to be clattered by the Scottish midfielder and earn a free-kick.
United made the breakthrough to go 2-1 ahead on aggregate thanks to Ronaldo’s 30th goal of the season in all competitions.
Nani started the move and sent Wes Brown clear on the right. He found Anderson, whose effort was blocked. The ball then broke to Ronaldo, who beat Coupet at the near post.
Lyon were anxious to get back in the game and a minute later Juninho tried his luck from distance but failed to test van der Sar.
Juninho has carved out a reputation as something of a dead-ball specialist and he was not afraid to try his luck from all of 30 yards in the 58th minute.
But he was left frustrated as Ronaldo showed his defensive side by heading the free-kick away from the danger zone.
Lyon, however, launched a swift counter-attack in the 66th minute with United almost paying for their carelessness.
Benzema got away and released Clerc but the move broke down when he delivered a weak cross.
Ferguson then brought on Carlos Tevez for Anderson in the 71st minute in a bid to extend their lead.
Rooney tried to release the Argentine striker with a cross only to see it blocked before Lyon almost grabbed the equaliser.
Substitute Kader Keita showed good pace in the 74th minute but saw his shot come back off the post in unlucky circumstances.
United hit back and Rooney should have scored following a poor back pass from Hatem Ben Arfa only for Coupet to block his chip in expert fashion.
Rooney was again out of luck in the 87th minute with Lyon stretched as they went in search of the equaliser, but the result was secured by this point and United marched on to seal a quarter-final berth.
Fulham 0-3 Manchester United 01.03.08 | Match Report
March 2, 2008
Manchester United moved to within a point of the Premier League summit after cruising to a 3-0 win over struggling Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Edwin van der Sar pulled off a smart save to keep out Danny Murphy’s 25-yard volley early on but United went ahead in the 15th minute when Owen Hargreaves placed a 20-yard free-kick perfectly over the wall and inside the post.
Murphy headed Jimmy Bullard’s free-kick straight at Van der Sar in the 33rd minute and the hosts were made to pay for that miss a minute before half-time when Park Ji-Sung headed in following a good move involving Carlos Tevez, Nani and Paul Scholes.
The Red Devils dropped the pace after the break but they introduced dynamic duo Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo with 20 minutes remaining and made it 3-0 in the 72nd minute when Simon Davies diverted John O’Shea’s cut-back into his own net.
Lyon 1-1 Manchester United 20.02.08 | Match Report
February 21, 2008
A late Carlos Tevez goal levelled the scores on the night, but handed United the advantage in the Reds’ Champions League last 16 tie with Olympique Lyonnais.
Tevez fired home in the 87th minute after Karim Benzema, French football’s finest young talent, scored against the run of play early in the second half. Benzema’s goal looked to have handed Lyon a famous victory on a night that yielded few clear-cut chances but plenty of engaging football.
United travelled to Lyon on a high after a tremendous 4-0 defeat of Arsenal in the FA Cup. Despite producing one of his finest performances in that match, Darren Fletcher had to be content with a spot on the bench in Lyon, alongside Tomasz Kuszczak, Michael Carrick, John O’Shea, Nani, Louis Saha and Tevez.
Before kick-off, Sir Alex admitted some players were unlucky not to retain their spot after the FA Cup victory, but explained the need for experience when playing away from home in Europe.
Of course, nobody in the Reds’ squad can boast Ryan Giggs’ experience. It was his quick thinking that handed United a 1-0 win against Lille the last time United travelled to France (at the same stage of last season’s competition), and on Wednesday night, almost 14-and-a-half years after his Champions League debut, the Welshman joined a elite group of players who have made 100 appearances in the competition.
The Reds’ no.11 only had fleeting touches early on. The home side was happy to gift United possession, but only in deep-lying areas of the pitch; any ball played into the final third induced a strong challenge from the Lyon centre-backs.
Lyon’s early play was concentrated down the left flank, with full back Fabio Grosso keen to get forward as much as possible. It was Grosso who supplied the cross that almost led to a Lyon opener in the 7th minute. Sidney Govou was first to the ball, but his shot was blocked before Patrice Evra scrambled the loose ball to safety.
The resulting corner saw dangerman Karim Benzema ghost in at the far post but he couldn’t connect cleanly with his volley, which dribbled into Edwin van der Sar’s hands. It was only a half chance, but Sir Alex will have been looking for greater concentration at set pieces, especially given Lyon midfielder Juninho’s ability to deliver balls into dangerous areas.
United’s first real chance fell to Wayne Rooney on 25 minutes. Ryan Giggs flicked a ball through the Lyon defence, which Rooney reached just ahead of Sebastien Squillaci. His touch took him into the box where he was left with only veteran goalkeeper Gregory Coupet to beat. Coupet was equal to the task, saving low at Rooney’s feet.
Benzema then blazed over the bar at the other end before Paul Scholes – the killer ball again provided by Giggs – was denied by a last-ditch block from former Newcastle defender Jean-Alain Boumsong.
Cristiano Ronaldo was upended in the 33rd minute by a challenge that earned Anthony Reveillere a booking, which will see the 28-year-old miss the return leg at Old Trafford. Swede Kim Kallstrom followed his team-mate into referee Luis Medina Cantalejo’s notebook just three minutes later when he brought down the same player in the centre circle.
Owen Hargreaves was the first United player to see a yellow card when he fouled Govou on the edge of the box, a tackle that prompted protestations from Boumsong that were vehement enough to earn the defender a booking of his own.
Despite the cards, the game never threatened to boil over, although Juninho went in late and high on Ryan Giggs just before the interval. It was more mistimed than malicious, however, and gave Ronaldo a chance from out wide to fizz the ball across the penalty area.
Coupet fisted the ball away for a corner, which Giggs took and Ronaldo headed over after out-jumping his man. It was the first half’s last meaningful piece of action and Sir Alex will have been pleased enough with United’s opening 45 minutes. He confirmed as much to Sky Sports just before the second half kicked off, yet reiterated his desire to leave the Stade Gerland with an “all important away goal”.
It wasn’t forthcoming in the early stages of the second period, although the Reds enjoyed almost uninterrupted possession.
And so it was against the run of play that Lyon took the lead in the 54th minute. Benzema picked up the ball on the edge of the box and, despite close attention from three Reds defenders, found space to rattle a low drive in off the post and give Lyon the advantage.
It was a cruel blow for United, who had begun the half so brightly, and a timely reminder of how finely balanced Champions League football can be. The goal triggered a prompt response, as red shirts piled forward in search of an equaliser and Carlos Tevez and Nani stripped off on the touchline.
Ten minutes after Benzema’s strike, United were still a goal down. Tevez came on for Scholes, while Nani replaced Giggs on the left side of midfield as Sir Alex sacrificed experience for energy and enthusiasm.
The two substitutes were at the heart of the move that finally saw Lyon’s net bulge, although Wayne Rooney was correctly flagged offside after Tevez had headed Nani’s cross into the England striker’s path.
United huffed and puffed, but Lyon stood firm despite the Reds’ best efforts. Ronaldo drew a spectacular save from Coupet before substitute Michael Carrick saw a drive bravely blocked just yards off the line.
The French defence did eventually crack, however, and it was Carlos Tevez who found the net with just three minutes to play. Tevez, who’d looked United’s liveliest player since his 65th-minute introduction, was on hand to smash the ball into the roof of the net after Fred failed to clear Nani’s cross at the far post.
The history books will show the teams finished on equal terms, but with the Reds playing the second leg at Old Trafford, the advantage has swung well and truly in United’s favour.
MU - Arsenal 4-0 FA Cup | 16.02.08
February 16, 2008
The eagerly-awaited FA Cup fifth-round clash between England’s two top teams turned out to be a one-sided affair on Saturday as Manchester United thumped 10-man Arsenal 4-0 at Old Trafford.
United were 3-0 up after 38 minutes through Wayne Rooney, Darren Fletcher and Nani as Arsenal’’s injury-hit side looked badly off the pace and short of motivation.
United, also without some leading players, were just as dominant after the break and Arsenal suffered a further setback five minutes after the restart when Emmanuel Eboue was sent off for a wild challenge on Patrice Evra.
Both teams then made substitutions to rest players for midweek Champions League games but United remained on top and got the fourth with another Fletcher header after 74 minutes.
