Manchester United v Liverpool: The minutes that mattered

By Mirror Football in Mirror Football Blog

Published 15:45 21/03/10

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It was a tense affair at Old Trafford, with few chances but plenty of incident. And these were the key moments that decided the outcome...

5 minutes: Fernando Torres hustles Michael Carrick off the ball in the centre circle and backheels to Steven Gerrard who puts Dirk Kuyt through on the right and when the Dutchman crosses Torres heads home unmarked on the edge of the six-yard area.

10: Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano concedes a penalty for holding back Antonio Valencia, despite contact initially being made outside the area.

12: Once the ensuing mayhem, which sees Mascherano booked and Torres kick a divot out of the penalty spot, subsides Wayne Rooney's shot is brilliantly saved by Jose Reina only for the United striker to slot home the rebound.

13: United manager Sir Alex Ferguson comes to the touchline waving an imaginary card, presumably in protest at referee Howard Webb not sending off Mascherano, which prompts an angry exchange with opposite number Rafael Benitez.

23: Park Ji-sung heads Valencia's right-wing cross wide of the far post with Rooney poised immediately behind him.

25: Torres is booked for chopping down Park and then complaining to Webb.

29: Nani forces Reina into a save low at his right-hand post with a 25-yard shot.

40: Park heads wide from Patrice Evra's left-wing cross.

45: Jamie Carragher is booked for a foul on Darren Fletcher 25 yards out. Rooney curls the free-kick over the wall but Reina dives to save comfortably.

52: Rooney's flick gives Park half a chance after getting a yard of space past Carragher and Daniel Agger but he shoots straight at Reina.

60: Park's run from deep and diving header from Fletcher's cross puts United ahead.

62: Gary Neville comes over the top of Maxi Rodriguez and catches the Argentinian with a boot to the head but escapes any punishment.

73: Fletcher booked for clattering into the back of Kuyt.

86: Rooney cuts inside Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger before firing a shot just wide of Reina's right-hand post.

89: Torres has a clear-cut chance to equalise 10 yards out from Gerrard's cross but balloons a shot up in the air and substitute Yossi Benayoun can only head tamely into Edwin van der Sar's hands.

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