United V Liverpool

Line up for tonight's Capital One Cup

United: De Gea, Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Buttner, Jones, Giggs, Nani, Kagawa, Rooney and Hernandez
subs: Amos, Anderson, Fabio, Carrick, Welbeck, Zaha, Januzaj

Liverpool: Mignolet, Toure, Skrtel, Sakho, Enrique, Gerrard, Lucas, Henderson, Moses, Suarez, Sturridge
subs: Jones, Alberto, Aspas, Sterling, Ibe, Kelly, Wisdom

Rooney named as Skipper for United tonight. His past performances over the last few weeks have warranted this honour.

They have previously met 4 times in the league cup with Liverpool victorious on 3 occasions

The meetings were

1983 Final Liverpool 2 United 1
1985 4th round Liverpool 2 United 1
1990 3rd Round United 3 Liverpool 1
2003 Final Liverpool 2 United 0

Updates to follow..........

Cagey enough start by both but United pressing forward more.

3 mins Nani decides to let rip and shot deflected for a United Corner.

7 mins Liverpool danger cleared and good work between Kagawa and Nani tee up rooney whose shot is deflected for a corner.

9 mins Kagawa and Nani looking very inventive and a good combination down the left sees a Kagawa shot tamely saved by Mignolet.

11 mins more Liverpool danger averted and a great Rooney turn and pass to Kagawa see his final effort limp into the box. United playing well.

12 mins Liverpool corner cleared and United counter with Nani causing real problems.

19 mins real end to end stuff with both sides putting the pressure on, a good move sees Nani pass into box grabbed by Mignolet.

27 mins a real dominant spell by Liverpool where Sturridge and Suarez had good chances.

29 mins United relief the pressure as Hernandez earns a corner.

the latter half of the first half was real end to end but with no real end product.

Half time: United 0 Liverpool 0

Second half begins

46 mins early corner by United and Rooney cross met by Hernandez at Stretford End.
UNITED 1 LIVERPOOL 0

49 mins Liverpool threaten again and Rooney has an effort go close but penalised for handball.

55 mins Henderson goes close for Liverpool then down the other end he appears to clip Nani in the box but sensibly no penalty given.

59 mins another Liverpool corner but quick clearance to Hernandez who feeds Kagawa onto Nani but his shot goes wide, great move by United.

64 mins mazy run by Kagawa and his shot at goal beats Mignolet but strikes the crossbar. Great effort.

71 mins De gea pulls of stunning save from a Moses point blank header.

72 mins more Liverpool pressure and a Suarez free kick hits the crossbar via Phil Jones head.

74 mins Januzaj and Carrick on for Kagawa and Hernandez.

75 mins Rafael taken down cynically outside the box, free kick to United. Mignolet denies Rooney twice first from free kick then a shot following a corner.

80 mins end to end and Giggs runs through then tripped Rooney takes on the baton but his shot deflected into Mignolet arms.

A great end to match with both sides going at it.

90 mins Welbeck replaces Nani.

Full Time UNITED 1 LIVERPOOL 0

City V United

Team line up

United: De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Fellani, Valencia, Young, Rooney and Welbeck

Subs: Amos, Evans, Hernandez, Cleverley, Kagawa, Nani, Buttner

City: Hart, Zabletta, Kompany, Nastasic, Kolarov, Toure, Fernandinho, Navas, Nasri, Aguero, Negredo

Subs: Pantilimon, Richards, Lescott, Milner, Dzeko, Javi Garcia, Jovetic

United missing RVP due to injury! 

16 seconds and Welbeck gathers Kompany loose pass but the shot is weak and a goal kick

Confident start by United but a city corner on 3 minutes but danger cleared.

Centre backs having problems this afternoon, Vidic passes straight to Navas whose shot goes over the bar.

5 minutes Nastasic in the book for an assault on Smalling.

10 minutes Kolarov cross hit with pace but cleared by Vidic for a corner.

City on top but United holding firm in Midfield and Defence.

Pressure tells and Aguero score from close in City 1-0 up. Game on

United corner but City break and Nasri goes close with a volley.

23 minutes and a rare United attack sees Rooney offside when played in.

City are on top of this and United missing the guile of RVP in this tight encounter.

24 mins and Kolorov is causing major problems and nearly a penalty award but corner given.

28 mins and Valencia finally beats Kolorov but meets Nastascic.

30 mins Rooney booked but seemed a soft one that.

31 mins first bit of sustained pressure from United holding the ball for over a minute but a linesman flag breaks it up.

37 mins United starting to get a grip Fellani winning plenty and a Evra cross at near post sees Welbeck barge into Hart.

39 mins United attack breaks down and City attack but a wasteful shot by Negredo.

42 mins Valencia tries a shot but goes harmlessly wide, United just cant get going up front.

44 mins Ashley Young not having his best half and his pass a bit too strong for Welbeck following a United free kick.

Injury time City corner and a unmarked Toure smashes home. United a shambles on that corner.

Half Time City 2 United 0.

No changes at half time

Game starts.

3-0 city Aguero, United blown apart and no coming back on this performance.

49 mins 4-0 City Nasri  cracking volley and United have no answer.

Cleverley on for Young Damaged limitations, an absolute damming performance.

55 mins Rooney great chance to reduce arrears but balloons over. Prior to that Vidic clearance prevents a 5th goal!

60 mins a Welbeck deflected shot hardly troubles Hart.

63 mins United adding pressure but free kick doesn't go over wall and resulting cross Fellaini is penalised. City well and truly on top.

66 mins more United pressure but Welbeck shot well off the pace.

68 mins Fellaini receives ball from Smalling and Hart pulls off a great save, Corner to United.  

70 mins Valencia booked for going down too easy in the box.

72 mins Negredo goes close but score still 4-0 City!

78 mins ~United struggling to get any momentum and Rooney gives the ball away on edge of City box after dithering for too long. Dzeko pulls away and De Gea makes a great save.

80 mins Evra header from corner hits post, United no luck today.

87 mins fabulous free kick by Rooney, 4-1 City.

Rooney the all time leading scorer in Manchester Derbies.

88mins Rooney tries another long range effort but well wide.

Injury time Dzeko goes close again.

Full Time City 4 United 1



  

Manchester Derby

Today is the 166th Manchester derby and United lead the victory count with 69 to City 46. Ryan Giggs has made the most appearances with 36 and Wayne Rooney and Franny Lee the leading scorers with 10.

United's record at the Etihad one defeat in the last but crucially it was the one that handed City the title Initative in 2012. United won on the last visit by 3-2 with RVP scoring an injury time winner.

Overall at City home ground United have 27 wins compared to City 23.

Todays match will be a avoid defeat today as both teams have already lost one league game this season and losing another will seriously dent even at this early stage title credentials. Early to say but given Moyes and Pellegrini first Manchester neither will want to lose. Pellegrini record against United is only with Villareal where we played FOUR nil-nil draws!

Updates to follow!!

Manchester United 4 Bayer Leverkusen 2

First champions league game of the season did not disappoint with United taking big strides towards qualification to the knock out stages.

United again started with Rooney and RVP up front with Valencia and Kagawa supporting from the flanks and I have to say it looked a formidable attacking unit and one Leverkusen failed to combat.

Controversy surrounded the first goal where an offside Valencia blocked the keeper as Rooney blasted the ball high into the net for a deserved lead. Carrick and Fellani held the midfield together and United looked strong.

Rooney was proving a constant thorn in Leverkusen side and the second half saw Rooney take the ball of the defender and he comfortably rounded the keeper and the goal gaping he missed the goal with RVP waiting in the middle and moments later a possible 2-0 lead was turned into a 1-1 where defensive lapses saw a Leverkusen equaliser.

However, a spirited United took the lead again when a Valencia cross was met by RVP and the Leverkusen keeper hardly covered himself in glory and fumbled the ball into the net for a United lead.

Rooney made amends for the earlier miss when he latched onto a defensive mix up and this time rather than round the keeper he simply showed him the eyes and placed the ball into the net for a 3-1 lead.

The fourth goal was the best and United at it's best. A Leverkusen corner was beaten out and RVP nicked the ball to Young who ran down the wing and with one touch passed to Rooney in the middle and Rooney stroked the ball in to the path of Valencia whose shot was too strong for the keeper and a 4-1 lead was the result.

The game then drifted only for Leverkusen to score form a corner which was needlessly given away and the goal needlessly conceded.

A solid game for United and it looked like the shackles came off the team and a four goal blast was a good response.

Many men of the match but once again Rooney was the pick with Valencia a close second.

Manchester United 2 Crystal Palace 0

David Moyes will be encountering a lot of firsts in the next few months but his first ever win at Old Trafford will come as a relief to him as the season starts in it's usual frenetic pace.

A lot of the talking points was the Ashley Young diving and Rooney making a rare start following the closure of the transfer window. He came wearing a headguard which seemed to make light work of the injury which kept him out of the England games.

In truth Palace offered very little and were content to sit back and hold the United tide. United looked busy but did little to penetrate the Palace back line and Carrick and Anderson in the midfield area were looking the busier but sadly Anderson performance drifted off.

United had two penalty shouts first with Evra bursting through but no penalty given and then Young dangled his leg out for a knock but unfortunately for him the ref was more cuter and promptly booked him.

Young was again the eye in the storm for the first goal when he burst through only to be clipped outside the box. The ref after consultation gave a penalty and sent off the offender. RVP coolly stepped up and put united in the lead. Prior to that he met a fantastic pass from Rooney and his volley rattled the cross bar.

The second half saw the league debuts of two Belgians Fellani and Januzaj. Both made telling contributions with Fellani plugging the gaps in the middle and taking time to rifle a shot which the Palace keeper managed to save, also Januzaj made a number of twisting runs very similar to Ronaldo debut all those years ago.

Januzaj was also fouled near the end of the game and the resulting free kick saw Rooney place superbly into the net to give United that extra security. The game petered out and United a first home win of the season.

Not a great advert of a game but Rooney and Carrick were the outstanding performers with Januzaj adding a bit of excitement in the last 20 minutes.

Next league game City away!