The first 44 minutes was all Manchester United. Knowing they were down 2-0 on aggregated, they needed to attack and attack fast, knowing a Liverpool goal counts double due to away goals. After some great chances, Man United were rewarded when Nathaniel Clyne took down Anthony Martial in the box. Martial made it look seamless as he put the deficit to within a goal.
Even after United scored, it seemed as if they would score again and equalize. That wasn’t until Philippe Coutinho stepped up, and seeing none of his teammates in position, he passed Guillermo Varela as if he was standing still and went after David de Gea. After making a great save earlier in this game, de Gea was vulnerable to Coutinho running right at him and after a tight chip from a very tough angle, got the equalizer for Liverpool right before halftime.
HT: Man United 1, Liverpool 1 (agg. 1-3). This beautiful run and finish from Coutinho puts Reds in driving seat. https://t.co/eYOCWFUrE6
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 17, 2016
An absolute huge goal for Liverpool that could not come at a better time. Instead of needing one goal to tie and two to win, Manchester United now must score three goals in 45 minutes to advance. It’s going to be an exciting conclusion to this derby.
