Manchester United vs. Liverpool: Winners and Losers from Europa League
Liverpool knocked Manchester United out of the UEFA Europa League following a 1-1 draw between the two old rivals Thursday night at Old Trafford.
Anthony Martial converted a 32nd-minute penalty to give United hope of overturning a 2-0 deficit from the first leg of this round-of-16 tie. But Philippe Coutinho hit back for Liverpool on the stroke of halftime, chipping a brilliant finish over David De Gea to secure a 3-1 aggregate victory.
Liverpool will learn the identity of their quarter-final opponent in Friday's draw. Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Philippe Coutinho
1 of 5
What makes a goal great? Is it down to aesthetics? Does context matter? If it's both, then Philippe Coutinho's strike against Manchester United on Thursday definitely qualified as great.
In the final minute of the first half, Liverpool trailed 1-0 on the night and held a precarious 2-1 advantage on aggregate. Another goal from United would have sent the tie to extra time, but one from Liverpool would give the visitors an all-but-unassailable advantage.
That was the context. As for aesthetics, consider this. After running on to a pass down the left flank, Coutinho burst past Guillermo Varela with stunning ease before bearing down on goal. David De Gea, a top-class 'keeper, awaited, but that made no difference to Coutinho, who chipped a cheeky shot over the Spaniard from close range.
United suddenly needed three goals to advance and Liverpool took a comfortable 3-1 aggregate lead into halftime of the second leg. And Coutinho did it in real style.
Loser: Guillermo Varela
2 of 5
Look, Coutinho's goal was brilliant. We get it. But Guillermo Varela also should have done better. The two statements aren't mutually exclusive.
The fact is that Varela should have done more to slow Coutinho down as the Liverpool man steamed past him. Cut down the angle. Make a bit of shoulder-to-shoulder contact. Foul him and take a yellow card. Whatever. As Coutinho so vividly showed, he can be ruthless in the box.
It turned out to be Varela's last involvement of the match. At halftime, with United needing three goals, he made way for Antonio Valencia, a fellow defender.
Winner: Anthony Martial
3 of 5
Anthony Martial was on the losing end over two legs of this tie, but his first-half handiwork briefly gave Manchester United a lifeline.
In the 31st minute, the Frenchman glided past Nathaniel Clyne on the left before going to ground under a challenge. Replays were conclusive, and the referee showed no hesitation in awarding a penalty for a clear foul. Martial took the penalty himself, calmly firing past Simon Mignolet for the opener a minute later.
Not only did Martial create the chance with his skills, but he also kept his cool and hauled his side back into the tie. At 2-1 on aggregate, anything could have happened. As it turned out, Coutinho had an even better moment in store.
But that shouldn't detract from the contribution of Martial, who's enjoying a good first season at Old Trafford. His goalscoring totals aren't eye-popping, but the 20-year-old has shown enough flashes to suggest he's a massive talent with bags of potential.
Loser: Louis van Gaal
4 of 5
The pressure continues to mount for Louis van Gaal after another disappointment.
In the end, this doesn't look like a dreadful result, at least not in isolation. Drawing 1-1 with Liverpool, even at Old Trafford, isn't awful. But the 2-0 defeat in the first leg was exactly that, and if we're being honest, the 3-1 aggregate scoreline flattered Manchester United.
That doesn't even tell the full story, though. With about two months left in the season, bleakness reigns at Old Trafford. Van Gaal's men are nowhere near the Premier League title race, and UEFA Champions League qualification is far from certain.
Winning the Europa League would have offered an alternate route in the Champions League next season, but now that possibility is gone. In fairness, United can still qualify Europe's top club competition, but Manchester City—and possibly even West Ham United—seem a more likely bet.
"Even with all the other disappointments, this feels like a real low point for Van Gaal's United. Limping out of Europe to Liverpool," tweeted Rob Dawson.
Some hope remains, of course. An FA Cup quarter-final replay with West Ham awaits next week, and based on recent results, that game is now the biggest of the season for United.
Can Van Gaal defy the doubters and claim a piece of silverware? It's possible, but the evidence on offer suggests the answer is no.
Winner: Mamadou Sakho
5 of 5
Apart from conceding the penalty, Liverpool's back line was stout all night. Leading the effort was Mamadou Sakho, who was absolutely immense.
The French center-back was a boss for the full 90 minutes, winning everything in the air and popping up with crucial tackles and interceptions inside Liverpool's box. In the second half, he completed an outrageously good tackle (h/t @LFCMostar) on Marcus Rashford to deny the Manchester United attacker a clear scoring opportunity.
All in all, Sakho bossed it. His was the kind of performance any manager would want from a defensive leader.
As Klopp's revolution continues, Sakho will surely be an integral figure.
