Liverpool's first half display against Manchester United at Anfield on Tuesday deserves its own DVD. The special features would include an option to watch every touch from Thiago and Sadio Mané, who were four or five steps ahead of the opposition at every turn.
It was Mané's clever play in the midst of United's disorganization that led to Liverpool's opener in the fifth-minute, but his assist for Mohamed Salah on Liverpool's second in the 22nd was one of the best passes you'll see all season.
30 yards out and with his back to goal, Mané received a pass from Joël Matip and with his first touch clipped a no-look reverse ball over Harry Maguire and into the path of Salah's run. I'm going to take this assist home and introduce it to my parents. Then we're going to rent an AirBnB in Panama City Beach to just get away for awhile.
That ball by Mane!
He finds Mo Salah, who extends the Liverpool lead.: @USA_Network pic.twitter.com/qf9M7f0a1W
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) April 19, 2022
A tale of two seasons. pic.twitter.com/qurBOSYRLR
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 19, 2022
Salah got the assist on the first, his 12th of the year, with Luis Díaz providing the finish.
Salah ➡️ Diaz
Liverpool go up 1-0 in emphatic fashion.: @USA_Network pic.twitter.com/myIavEz6mS
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) April 19, 2022
While that was all going down in the final third, Thiago was absolutely bossing the midfield. It was perfection.
Thiago's first half by numbers vs. Man Utd:
100% take-on success
98% pass accuracy
68 touches
60 passes attempted
59 passes completed
6 final third entries
5/5 long balls
4 duels contested
3 duels won
3 chances created
2 tacklesIt's all too easy for him. pic.twitter.com/p7SZp9g5aC
— Squawka (@Squawka) April 19, 2022
After failing to register a single shot in the opening 45, the Red Devils started chipping away at Liverpool's 75 percent possession and even landed a shot at target, but just when you thought United might punish the home side's sluggish start to the second half, Andrew Robertson broke through the channel before feeding Díaz out wide.
The Colombian picked out Mané in the area, and the Senegalese guided a controlled half-volley past a despairing David de Gea.
¡¡SADIO MAAAAAANÉ!!
El senegalés marca un GOLAZO, luego de una asistencia del colombiano Luis Díaz ✅Gol y asistencia para el de @LFC.
Síguelo por @NBCUniverso y la APP Telemundo Deportes ➡️ https://t.co/3JXil0LapI#LigaPremierTD pic.twitter.com/15Dl1ZuZny
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) April 19, 2022
The narrative of "men vs. boys" then turned literal in the 85th minute as 19-year-old United substitute Hannibal Mejbri gave the ball away cheaply and Salah got his second and 22nd of the season.
¡¡PALIZA EN ANFIELD!!
✅ Dos goles y una asistencia para el egipcio en el partido.
Síguelo por @NBCUniverso y la APP Telemundo Deportes ➡️ https://t.co/YVSuhgTMzL#LigaPremierTD pic.twitter.com/A8Y5VYMuxg
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) April 19, 2022
Ralf Rangnick's statement to Sky Sports that "apart from the goalkeeping, we need to make sure that we improve the squad in all areas" will really be stressed now after a season in which Liverpool beat United 9-0 on aggregate in the league.
