Goals: Manchester United—Blind 49’ - Herrera 69’ - Martial 87'; Liverpool—Benteke 84'

Recap: Ninety minutes of inspired football saw Manchester United defeat Liverpool 3-1 on Saturday.

A coma-inducing first half mercifully ended after one minute of stoppage time. Neither club managed to record a shot on goal. Actual soccer was played after the break. A clinical set piece allowed Daley Blind to open the affair in the 49th minute. Just 20 minutes later, United were awarded a penalty. Ander Herrera left zero doubts with his finish.

Making his club debut, Anthony Martial secured the 3-1 victory in the 87th minute.

Key Moment: Liverpool’s best chance to find an equalizer came in the 64th minute. Following a goal-line clearance, the ball landed at the feet of Firmino. A heavy first touch, however, saw the ball innocently cross the end line. It was his final touch of the match, as he was subsequently substituted off for Jordon Ibe. The match escaped the visitors from there.

Man of the Match: Blind won’t survive as a center-back against world-class attackers in Champions League, but he found his level of play on Saturday. A rudderless Liverpool attack was stymied by the Dutch international, seeing him finish with three tackles and one goal.

Lesson Learned: What’s Jurgen Klopp doing these days?

Five weeks into the Premier League campaign, and Liverpool are still struggling to find their identity. The Reds struggled to string more than three consecutive passes in the first half, conceding possession with countless errors. The club’s tactics improved as the match went on, but Brendan Rodgers can ill-afford anymore slow starts. The pressure is mounting on providing Fenway Group a winner, especially with the countless millions spent in the last two transfer windows.

Saturday was not a positive step in that direction.

Up Next: Manchester United will feature in Champions League against PSV on Sept. 15, while Liverpool opens their Europa League campaign in Bordeaux on Sept. 16.

For more content, follow us on Twitter @SportsWN or LIKE US on Facebook.