Reina errors gift United crucial victory over Reds
Jose Reina and Javier Mascherano did not help the Reds' cause in cementing fourth place in the table
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Sunday, 23, Mar 2008 08:50
Two blunders from goalkeeper Jose Reina handed Manchester United a 3-0 win over ten-man Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Reina was at fault for goals by Wes Brown and Cristiano Ronaldo, while Nani wrapped up the game with United's third.
Javier Mascherano was sent off for two bookable offences, in a result which puts United six points clear of Arsenal in the title race.
Edwin van der Sar and Rio Ferdinand returned for the Premier League champions with Carlos Tevez on the bench, while Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez named an unchanged line-up.
In the 150th meeting between the sides, the first-half was a turgid affair with both teams stifling each other out.
The first clear-cut chance came on five minutes when Wayne Rooney was sent clear by Anderson and had his shot parried by Reina, after the striker had his heels clipped by Jamie Carragher.
But the first half will be remembered more for the controversy with Mascherano picking up his first booking for a rash challenge on Paul Scholes.
United continued to carve out the better chances with Ronaldo rattling the post with a side-footed effort from Ryan Giggs' free-kick on 23 minutes.
The Reds' best chance fell to Fernando Torres who controlled Fabio Aurelio's pass and had his snap-shot deflected for a corner on the half hour mark.
Reina endured a torrid afternoon and misjudged Giggs' cross minutes later and clawed the ball away after nearly palming it into his own net.
The Spanish keeper flapped at another cross 12 minutes from the break, with Brown's header coming off Reina's flailing arm and into the net to make it 1-0.
Liverpool's hopes of salvaging something were destroyed on 41 minutes when Mascherano was given a second yellow card for dissent.
Reina tried to redeem himself in the second half with a string of fine saves to deny the home side, starting with a block from Rooney's effort after the striker was put clean through on 56 minutes.
The Spaniard then stuck out his left arm to save substitute Tevez's shot after a mistake by Alvaro Arbeloa.
Liverpool continued to be reduced to ambitious efforts with the largely- anonymous Steven Gerrard firing a half-volley inches wide.
But after brilliantly pushing Ronaldo's header onto the bar to force a corner, Reina's afternoon got even worse on 79 minutes. The Spaniard tried to feebly punch the ball clear but was beaten by Ronaldo who scored his 34th goal of the season.
United then sealed the rout two minutes later when substitute Nani traded passes with Rooney before hammering a low shot into the corner.
The game petered out in the closing minutes as Benitez extends his winless run against the Reds' arch rivals.