Kagawa, Pemain Asia Pertama Cetak Hatrik di Liga Utama Inggris
Kagawa Becomes First Asian Player to Score a Premier League
Editor : Heru S Winarno
Translator : Parulian Manalu
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Manchester (B2B) - Shinji Kagawa mencetak hat-trick saat Manchester United mengalahkan Norwich City 4-0 untuk meraih jarak 15 poin di puncak klasemen Liga Primer Inggris.
Ryan Giggs terpaksa untuk menanti agak lama untuk penampilan ke-1.000 di Manchester United, karena ia diistirahatkan dari tim starter, sementara Anthony Pilkington masuk untuk menggantikan Luciano Becchio saat laga tandang, seperti dilansir Mail Online.
Tim tuan rumah menikmati permainan sejak awal, tetapi kesulitan menembus pertahanan Norwich yang diorganisir backline Canaries yang terorganisasi dengan baik.
Pasangan penyerang Wayne Rooney dan Robin van Persie mencoba keberuntungan mereka dari jarak jauh, tetapi gagal mencetak gol yang dikawal kiper Mark Bunn, Michael Carrick berupaya menjajal kemampuan kiper.
Namun, tepat pada sebelum turun minum, United memecah kebuntuan ketika Antonio Valencia memberi bola dari sayap kanan, Van Persie mengumpan lagi dan Kagawa mencetak gol dari jarak dekat dengan kaki kanannya.
Empat belas menit kemudian, United menggandakan keunggulan mereka ketika Rooney memberi umpan panjang ke depan dan Kagawa menyelesaikannya dari jarak dekat ke gawang.
United menambah gol ketika Kagawa menyelesaikan hat-trick pertamanya, dengan mengangkat bola melewati Bunn setelah menerima umpan dari Rooney.
Striker Inggris itu kemudian mencetak golnya sendiri pada menit akhir ketika Rooney menendang sejauh 25 meter dari sisi kanan untuk melumpuhkan kiper Bunn.
Manchester - Shinji Kagawa completed a hat-trick as Manchester United routed Norwich City 4-0 to move 15 points clear at the top of the table.
Ryan Giggs was made to wait a little longer for his 1,000th senior appearance, as he was left out of the United squad, while Anthony Pilkington came in for Luciano Becchio for the visitors.
The hosts enjoyed the better of the early possession, but were unable to prise any clear openings from a well-organised Canaries backline.
Both Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie tried their luck from distance, but were unable to test City keeper Mark Bunn, who had only a weak Michael Carrick effort to deal with.
However, right on the stroke of half-time United broke the deadlock as Antonio Valencia crossed from the right, Van Persie knocked the ball down and Kagawa netted from close range with his right foot.
After a quiet start to the second half, Norwich had a chance to draw level just past the hour mark as Russell Martin lifted a shot over the bar from a couple of yards out, although an offside flag may well have seen the effort ruled out.
Fourteen minutes from time United doubled their lead as Rooney raced onto a long ball forward and Kagawa side-footed home from close in.
United added further gloss to the scoreline late on as first Kagawa completed his treble by lifting the ball over Bunn after collecting another set-up by Rooney.
The England man then got his own reward in stoppage time as Rooney cracked a 25-yard right-footer beyond the despairing dive of Bunn.
