Manchester United ruined Luis Suarez's return with a 1-0 win in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday.
Suarez finished serving a 10-game ban from last season and made his season debut for the Reds. The day was a major occasion for the club, especially after a summer of instability that featured arguments between the club and player over loyalty and promises. Suarez was not at his best in the match and often had trouble with control; the rust is completely expected given his absence in matches since the June Confederations Cup.
Both clubs were coming off losses this weekend and needed some sort of boost heading into this weekend's Premier League fixtures. United was coming off an embarrassing 4-1 loss against Manchester City and was looking for any means to regain confidence.
Manager David Moyes inserted Nani and Shinji Kagawa in the starting lineup and the two worked magic alongside Wayne Rooney throughout the game; Kagawa was a major reason for United's 4-2 romp over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. Many have questioned why Moyes has not utilized the Japanese international more often in his starting lineups; the performance in the UCL and on Wednesday certainly validates those questions.
Another player who made his mark on Wednesday was Mexican striker Javier Hernandez. After enduring a frustrating spell with his international side and failing to pick up much playing time early this season, Hernandez responded with a aerial deflection off a corner kick that ultimately proved decisive for United. Liverpool's dreams of winning silverware this season were just cut down by one as they are eliminated from the tournament. United heads to the next round.
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