Rafa rails at Valencia penalty ‘dive’

RAFAEL BENITEZ, the beaten Liverpool manager, voiced his dissatisfaction at the manner in which his team was beaten 2-1 by Manchester United at Old Trafford yesterday, suggesting opposition winger Antonio Valencia had dived to win a penalty.

In a contentious meeting between two of the English game’s most bitter rivals, Liverpool led through an early Fernando Torres goal before Javier Mascherano was judged to have hauled down Valenica. That flashpoint saw Benitez and Alex Ferguson engaged in a furious verbal battle on the touchlines as the United manager claimed Mascherano should have been shown an automatic red card.

“One situation changed everything,” said Benitez. “I’ve seen three replays and the last one was very suspicious, seeing the replay and how he fell to the ground. From the bench, I was asking the people who were below with the TV and they said it was a penalty. Did Valencia dive? Yes, I think so. It’s not clear. There is maybe a contact but the way he fell down....strange.”