After last week’s 2-0 humiliation at Liverpool in the first leg the prevailing theme for Manchester United was redemption. The mission was to show why they are the record 20-times champions, three-times European Cup-winners, and the club with a proud line in barnstorming teams who never give up.

Louis van Gaal was clear his side had to deliver. Ander Herrera stated “we have another chance”. And David de Gea said: “With United, anything is possible. That’s one of the great qualities of this club, we always believe and always fight until the end. We believe in ourselves and we believe we can be in the next round.

“We didn’t play to our best last week. But now we have a chance to put things right at home. We need to show why we are Manchester United.”

Any side can lose any game, so the manner of the defeat in the opening leg in this Europa League last-16 tie to Jürgen Klopp’s men was the issue.

Lacked cohesion

United lacked cohesion, a plan, and, it seemed, the spirit required against their fiercest rival. Thursday night’s minimum demand, then, was to go out and blaze at Liverpool from first whistle to last. If this proved not good enough and interest in Europe was ended come the close, at least pride was restored and United fans could look their Liverpool counterparts in the eye.

Liverpool had not lost since February 2nd, a run of nine unbeaten games, five of which were in the Premier League, allowing them to close to within three points of United’s total of 47. A key statistic here is Van Gaal’s men having played a match extra, so if they could have somehow staged a famous comeback and knocked Liverpool out it would have doubled as a neat psychological blow when the chase for Champions League places resumes at the weekend.

As is often the case in a Van Gaal XI there was a puzzle over formation. At Anfield the manager stuck a raw Marcus Rashford on the right, witnessed him enduring a torrid time as Liverpool attacked at will along the flank, then yanked him off at the break.

Largely anonymous

Here Rashford was restored to the number nine berth – where he would be largely anonymous – and the conundrum was the moving infield of Jesse Lingard to a quasi-playmaker role, alongside Marouane Fellaini. This meant Juan Mata was taken away from his natural trequartista position as yet again United appeared lop-sided.

Hanging over United was the dread of Liverpool scoring. Do so and Van Gaal’s side would have to register four times due to the away goals rule. A De Gea save from Roberto Firmino as the half hour neared saved it occurring at this juncture, after United might have twice struck earlier via Lingard’s head and Mata’s left boot.

Now, though, United did take the lead in the leg, and the ear-splitting roar that greeted Anthony Martial’s cool penalty roused the senses and had a cathartic feel to it for all Manchester United fans.

This came after 32 minutes but as the referee, Milorad Mazic, prepared to blow for the interval, Philippe Coutinho took the ball, glided inside, made a mug of Guillermo Varela and De Gea and slotted home sublimely, and that was 1-1: Van Gaal, his bench and the home support slumped. It was not to be. But at least this time United turned up. Guardian Service