Chapter 545: Midway breakthrough

In this double red club, both teams focused on their defensive performance in the game.
In particular, De Gea and Yang Feng are 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 holds the initiative.
Star Mark's frontcourt is pressing, even though Liverpool players have paid more physical energy, but they also reaped enough rewards in the first half. Manchester United’s backcourt play has been greatly restricted, making Liverpool completely anti-visitors, starting to occupy a larger proportion of the ball in the game and launch more attacks.
As Fellaini received a yellow card early, Liverpool's frontcourt offensive players constantly made a fuss about Manchester United's central defense line and continued to attack Manchester United's defense line from the front.
Although Liverpool's current three midfielders do not have the ability to pass the ball, there is no problem with proper forwarding, attracting the attention of Manchester United defenders, and delivering some simple passes. When Henderson dribbled the ball in the midfield, he sent a straight pass to Coutinho in front of him. Rooney, who originally defended Henderson, chose to slide the tackle when Henderson passed the ball. Intercepted, but did not stop the straight pass, the foot that stretched out was about 20 centimeters away from the route of football.
After all, he came from a forward, let Rooney come to the midfield position, organize an offense, or insert a shot later, Rooney can still do well.
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 overestimates his defensive sliding tackle speed. After making defensive moves, he still missed the ball.
Coutinho moved laterally from the left to the center, seeing Henderson's pass, and directly leaning against Carrick who came out of the penalty area to make up the defense. At the moment of receiving the ball, Coutinho swayed a shoulder to the left, attracting Carrick's defensive attention.
Carrick adjusted his focus appropriately and prepared to defend Coutinho's breakthrough.
However, Coutinho's fake moves are quite realistic, and the subsequent movements are also very fast.
After shaking his left shoulder, Coutinho immediately hooked the ball to his right ankle and turned halfway to accelerate forward.
Carrick instantly lost his defensive position and had no time to adjust his center of gravity to keep up with Coutinho's speed.
At the critical moment, Carrick forcibly stretched his leg to intercept. When he lost his balance, his extended right leg successfully tripped Coutinho.
Coutinho lost his balance and won a free kick before the penalty zone.
The referee Atkinson also decisively came to the "scene of the crime" and showed a yellow card to warn Carrick.
Less than halftime, the two defenders who were mainly responsible for the defense in the center received yellow cards on the defensive end. This also made Manchester United's defense line more defensive pressure afterwards, which caused a chain reaction of Manchester United's defensive lineup. How? Limiting Liverpool's attack in the middle has become a top priority for Manchester United.
After a direct free kick, Coutinho hit the goal with a wonderful free kick, bypassing the wall and flying straight to the dead corner of the goal, but De Gea relentlessly rejected it.
A very stretched take-off side flutter blocked the football that was about to fly into the upper right corner of the goal at the last minute.
De Gea used his stable play to ensure that Manchester United's door was not lost.
Carrick was also subject to the defensive restrictions brought about by the yellow card, which allowed Liverpool to firm up the offensive tactics of penetrating the center. The team rushed to the center again and again. Even though Manchester United's three-back defensive mode, the defense of the center is very strong, but It was quite uncomfortable to be impacted by Liverpool's offense.
Although Liverpool hasn't gotten a good shot in the penalty area for the time being, the opportunity to shoot long shots from the outside is getting easier and easier.
Henderson, Emre Can’s successive long-range shots are extremely threatening. If De Gea continued to make brilliant saves on the goal line, Manchester United's defense line might have been broken by Liverpool.
Liverpool is quite concise, but with a very effective mid-range attack, Manchester United's defense is a bit unstoppable and faltering.
Now Liverpool just needs an opportunity, one that can turn the advantage into a goal, and one that has enough threats that De Gea has no way to defend.
In the last moments of the first half, Liverpool attacked continuously and finally created another threatening attack opportunity.
After Coutinho’s breakthrough in the center attracted the attention of Manchester United’s defense, with the cover provided by Sturridge crossing diagonally to the left, Coutinho sent a kick to Sterling crossing diagonally to the right. Wonderful through ball.
Phil Jones’ body shape, facing such a sudden through ball, the weakness of turning slowly was exposed~EbookFREE.me~ was accelerated by Sterling, and then easily accelerated, directly on the right side of the penalty area. Get an excellent offensive opportunity.
Between the lightning and flint, the defense at the back of Phil Jones' side was still in place, facing De Gea, Sterling chose to shoot with a low shot.
De Gea was on the goal line, once again showing his goal line reaction that surprised everyone.
The legs split instantly on the spot, increasing the defensive area, and the extended left foot just blocked Sterling's path to the goal.
However, Sterling, who is short and agile, continued to rush forward very astutely after shooting.
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.
After Sterling rushed forward, he faced the ball blocked by De Gea and made a fill shot and hit a fast half-high. Although De Gea sat on the ground and barely opened his arms and swung the block, he failed to block it again. ball.
The ball flies directly into the goal.
1 to 0!
Liverpool took the lead!
The Old Trafford Stadium was silent, and Sterling's goal made Manchester United fans accustomed to victory as if they were reminded of the decadence of Manchester United's continuous defeat on various fronts at the beginning of the season.
But this loss was only temporary, and the silent Old Trafford immediately broke out with deafening boos. They couldn't let the players of the rivals, so in their own home court, wanton celebration. However, the counterattack of Manchester United fans is so weak. For Liverpool, a 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 game, Liverpool relied on the continuous midway impact and finally achieved a 1 goal lead.