Game : Manchester United vs Blackburn Rovers
Competition : English Premier League
Venue : Old Trafford, Manchester
Final score : Manchester United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers ( Wayne Rooney 23′, Cristiano Ronaldo 60’/ Roque Santa Cruz 32′)
Match review:-
Manchester United extended their lead at the top of the Premiership to eight points but not before they were taken the distance by Sam Allardyce’s hard working Blackburn side.
Wayne Rooney’s 23rd minute opener was cancelled out by Roque Santa Cruz’s 32nd minute strike, but a marvellous freekick from World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo on the hour mark gave the Red Devils a 2-1 win.
United dominated play in the opening twenty minutes. Blackburn were sloppy, and one feared that United could mete out the same treatment to them as they did to Fulham in midweek.
United took a deserved lead in the 23rd minute. Rafael fed Nani, whose through pass was intercepted by Nelsen. Unfortunately for Blackburn, Nelsen was not able to clear it away, and his outstretched leg got only the minutest of touches on the ball. Wayne Rooney pounced on the ball and fired home from close range.
United were still enjoying the game, but a small error gave Blackburn a way back into the game. A moment of indecision between Nani and Paul Scholes allowed Andre Ooijer to claim possession, and the Dutchman send a wonderful pass through for Roque Santa Cruz. Cruz cleverly rounded the advancing Kuzscak, and his cool finish was the first goal United had conceded in the league since November.
Jonny Evans had a perfect legitimate header denied on the stroke of half time, but from the point of a view of a Blackburn supporter, the decision was just as the goal had come from a corner that was never United’s in the first place.
Blackburn upped the ante, and nearly took the lead when Ryan Nelsen hit the post. The rebound fell to El Hadji Diouf, whose effort was saved by Kuzscak.
However two minutes later, Rovers fell behind. Keith Andrews needlessly fouled Patrice Evra, and Ronaldo struck an absolute gem of a free kick into the top corner of Paul Robinson’s net.
Sam Allardyce brought on Benni McCarthy a tad too late, and Rovers could not find the equaliser they needed. United held on to win 2-1, and pressure is now on Liverpool as they take on Man City on Sunday.
Manchester United: Kuszczak, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Evans (Vidic 64), Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes (Giggs 82), Nani (Tevez 64), Rooney, Berbatov.
Yellow Cards: Ronaldo, Berbatov.
Blackburn Rovers: Robinson, Ooijer, Nelsen, Givet, Warnock, Grella (McCarthy 79), Diouf (Treacy 83), Andrews, Dunn (Kerimoglu 73), Pedersen, Roque Santa Cruz.
Yellow cards: Keith Andrews, Gael Givet.