A 2-0 win against Manchester United is always a great result, but Philip Coutinho's shocking miss last night typifies the poor finishing that has plagued Liverpool all season. The Reds should be going into next week's return fixture with a 3/4 goal cushion, but according to Man United legend Paul Scholes, LFC's failure to convert their chances has given his old club a glimmer of hope for the second leg.
Speaking to BT Sport^ after the game, Scholes - who slated United's performance as 'shambolic' - noted:
"Man United are still in this game, and if I was a Liverpool player, I’d be disappointed that the tie isn’t over".
Scholes is right. Louis Van Gaal's team may be irretrievably pedestrian, but a 2-0 lead is by no means insurmountable, and it's unlikely that United will be as bad in the second leg.
Additionally, United have scored 15 goals in their last 6 home games, so it's highly probable that they'll score at least one goal next week, and if it's an early goal, then anything can happen.
If anyone should be 'disappointed', though, it's Coutinho, who missed an absolute sitter in the first half.
The Brazilian latched onto Sturridge's excellent cross, and instead of taking the simple option of sweeping the ball into an (almost) empty net with his left foot, Coutinho tried to stab it home with his right, and totally wasted the chance.
If Christian Benteke missed this chance, he'd by the subject of relentless barracking right now. Hopefully, Coutinho's miss won't come back to haunt Liverpool next week.
^ Transcribed whilst watching interview live
Author: Jaimie K
Speaking to BT Sport^ after the game, Scholes - who slated United's performance as 'shambolic' - noted:
"Man United are still in this game, and if I was a Liverpool player, I’d be disappointed that the tie isn’t over".
Scholes is right. Louis Van Gaal's team may be irretrievably pedestrian, but a 2-0 lead is by no means insurmountable, and it's unlikely that United will be as bad in the second leg.
Additionally, United have scored 15 goals in their last 6 home games, so it's highly probable that they'll score at least one goal next week, and if it's an early goal, then anything can happen.
If anyone should be 'disappointed', though, it's Coutinho, who missed an absolute sitter in the first half.
The Brazilian latched onto Sturridge's excellent cross, and instead of taking the simple option of sweeping the ball into an (almost) empty net with his left foot, Coutinho tried to stab it home with his right, and totally wasted the chance.
If Christian Benteke missed this chance, he'd by the subject of relentless barracking right now. Hopefully, Coutinho's miss won't come back to haunt Liverpool next week.
^ Transcribed whilst watching interview live
Author: Jaimie K
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