Maguire’s late strike denied Liverpool a share of the points despite a spirited second-half comeback driven by Cody Gakpo.
United stunned the home crowd just two minutes in when Bryan Mbeumo latched onto a through ball and coolly slotted past Giorgi Mamardashvili to hand the visitors an early lead.
The setback forced Liverpool to chase the game for much of the match. Their relentless assaults on United’s goal rattled the woodwork several times, as a series of missed opportunities kept them behind.
Gakpo struck the post repeatedly in the first half and finally leveled the score in the 78th minute, turning in Federico Chiesa’s cross from close range to make it 1-1.
However, United struck back swiftly. Six minutes later, Bruno Fernandes delivered a perfectly timed volleyed cross that Maguire met with a glancing header, sending the ball across goal and into the far corner while Mamardashvili stood rooted to the spot.
