Rafael scores and impresses as Manchester United defeat Liverpool
By Christopher Atkins 2012-09-23 11:02:57
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Manchester United defender Rafael scored a goal and put in an excellent performance as a below-par Manchester United snatched a 2-1 win against Liverpool at Anfield.
Rafael, 22, has found his defensive play criticised in his time in England, but on Sunday he put in a performance that was praised by supporters for its discipline and solidity.
Confronted with Italian Fabio Borini, Rafael stood-up well to the task and, encouragingly, won several back-post headers to clear dangerous crosses.
The Brazilian's crowning moment, though, came in the second-half when he curled a wonderful left-footed shot into the far-corner, after a header down from Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa.
The match was to end on a slightly sour note, though, as the Olympic silver medallist was forced to sit out the final minutes, hobbling-off with a leg injury of which details are not yet known.
As Rafael, himself, admitted a couple of weeks ago, there is still much for him to work on in his game, but will have given hope to Brazilian observers with a mature performance in the Anfield cauldren.
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