Man United vs Liverpool Highlights: MUN 3-2 LIV; Mainoo goal helps secure thrilling win and a rare double

Manchester United have secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Liverpool to book their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League. They are back in the premier European competition after a two-year absence.

FT’ | Manchester United hold on to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory over Liverpool, marking the first time in a decade they have beaten their rivals both home and away in the same season.

90′ | Five minutes of stoppage time have been added with Manchester United leading 3-2. Liverpool, who have scored the most stoppage time goals this season, will look to strike again and deny United all three points.

86′ | Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo gets a yellow card after a late challenge on Casemiro. With United leading 3-2, tensions are rising in a heated final phase of the match.

77′ | The Old Trafford has erupted as Kobbie Mainoo restored the lead to put Manchester United 3-2 ahead. After a tense second-half that saw Liverpool level the scores with back-to-back goals, United regained the lead with a crucial goal by Mainoo.

71′ | A huge opportunity went begging for United as Casemiro rose in the Liverpool box, but his header went over the bar from close range. The score is still 2-2, with both sides searching for a late winner.

68′ | Manchester United’s advantage has slipped away after mistakes at the back, with Amad Diallo losing possession to Dominik Szoboszlai, who scored a brilliant goal to make it 2-1. Moments later, a goalkeeping error from Lammens helped Liverpool strike again, turning the game on its head in just nine minutes. The home side led 2-0 at half-time.

59′ | Liverpool made a defensive switch as Milos Kerkez replaced Andrew Robertson at left-back with the score locked at 2-2. Both teams are looking to push hard for a winner in the remaining time.

56′ | What a moment at Old Trafford as Cody Gakpo helped Liverpool get back into the game to make it 2-2. The match has turned into an absolute thriller, with both sides going hard against each other in a dramatic second half.

47′: Liverpool begin the second half on a confident note as Szoboszlai fires the ball past Dalot and Lammes into the goal, helping the visitors reduce the deficit! United had launched a promising attack right after kickoff, but will find themselves under a bit of pressure now.

46′: No change for Liverpool while Sesko is replaced by Amad Diallo for United.

Liverpool end the first half with the greater share of possession but United have had more shots as well as shots on target, which is perhaps why they are 2-0 up at the moment.

45+4′: Barring an odd shot or two, it’s been United all the way in the first half at Old Trafford, with the ‘Red Devils’ staring at at the prospect of completing a season double against the ‘Reds’ for the first time in a decade thanks to Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko’s goals inside the first 15 minutes.

Multiple replays show Sesko might have got his fingertips on the ball during his 14th-minute goal, but the referee did not have conclusive evidence to overturn his original decision.

45+1′: Will that be enough time for a goal, maybe for Liverpool to halve their deficit? Stay tuned to find out.

44′: Just when we think United are content to enter the half-time break with a 2-0 lead, Michael Carrick’s men nearly triple their lead, narrowly missing out on a goal in the end. Fernandes gets the ball rolling in a penalty and passes it to Cunha, whose initial shot is blocked. Konate nearly concedes the ball at a dangerous position, but Woodman is able to snuff out the challenge in the end.

41′: United appeared to have slowed their tempo down a notch with a handful of minutes left for halftime, and will be hoping to head back to their dressing room with their two-goal lead intact.

36′: Jeremie Frimpong, one of two new faces in United’s starting XI today, is brought down at the edge of the penalty box by two United defenders, hoping to get at least a free kick. The referee, however, ignores it for now.

32′: The Red Devils are awarded a free kick near the touchline on the right side of the field, once again after a foul on Mainoo with Mac Allister the culprit this time. Fernandes takes the set piece but Dalot’s ensuing long pass ends up rolling away for a goal kick.

27′: United launch a counterattack after intercepting a Liverpool challenge, and it ends with the United captain firing the ball wide of the post to Woodman’s right after connecting with a pass from the right flank.

25′: We finally have a serious challenge from Liverpool, with Cody Gakpo attempting a left-footed strike from a central position near the box that flies narrowly wide of the United goalpost. Will that bring about a change in Liverpool’s body language, which appears quite low at the moment?

23′: It’s all United at the moment, with the Red Devils enjoying the greater share of possession (55-45) and having had five shots (three on target) compared to nil for their opponents. Liverpool have been making multiple forays into the United third, but are unable to find an opening.

15′: Man United are 2-0 up inside 15 minutes and are strong favourites to confirm their return to the Champions League today! Sesko had been threatening to score at various junctures so far and found himself in a 1v1 situation with the goalkeeper. His initial shot is blocked though, and is followed by a dramatic sequence that ends with the Liverpool keeper parrying the ball onto Sesko’s body, from where it rolls back into the goal.

12′: The referee blows his whistle after Szoboszlai commits a foul on Mainoo, awarding a free kick to United. Liverpool, meanwhile, have been attempting to fight back but haven’t been able to mount a serious threat so far.

6′: United score off a set piece as Cunha takes two shots at the Liverpool goal from the first corner of the game. While the first shot is blocked, the second one snakes through the Liverpool defence and beats Freddie Woodman!

4′: United carve out a promising opportunity inside the first five minutes after Mbeumo fires a cross from the right flank. Sesko, flanked by two defenders, attempts to head the ball in, but the ball’s too high for him.

1′: The match is underway at Manchester United’s home ground with Liverpool, attacking from right to left, getting the ball rolling.

The two teams make their way out to the centre and it’s Liverpool’s turn to ditch their red kits for white. The crowd sings “Take Me Home, Country Roads” before kickoff…

Manchester United need just one more point to confirm their return to the Champions League while Liverpool will be left needing just one point from their remaining three games if they won today’s showdown.

United had last achieved a season double against Liverpool back in the 2015-16 season – registering a 3-1 victory at Old Trafford in September and winning by a slender 1-0 margin at Anfield in January.

Two changes for Arne Slot’s men, as Jeremie Frimpong and Ryan Gravenberch replace the injured pair of Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak.