Posted in FA Cup, Fulham, Manchester United

Manchester United escape Fulham trap and reach the semi-finals of the cup

 March 19, 2023

Goals: Manchester United – Fulham – Played on 03/19/2023

Manchester United narrowly advanced to the semi-finals of the FA Cup competition, by defeating Fulham at home 3-1 in the quarter-finals.

Alexander Mitrovic scored a goal for Fulham (50) before Manchester United turned the score through Bruno Fernandez (75 from a penalty kick, 90 + 6) and Marcel Sabitzer (77).

Manchester United set a date with Brighton in the semi-finals, which will be held at Wembley Stadium.

Manchester United coach Eric Ten Hag relied on the 4-2-3-1 method of play, where Harry Maguire stood beside Lisandro Martinez in the depth of the defense, with the support of the full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw, and Scott McTominay cooperated with Marcel Sabitzer in the middle of the field, The trio, Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandez, and Marcus Rashford, moved behind striker Fout Vigehurst.

On the opposite side, Fulham coach Marco Silva resorted to the same 4-2-3-1 method of play, where the back line consisted of Kenny Tite, Issa Diop, Tim Rayme and Anthony Robinson, and Harrison Reed and Joao Paulinia were in the middle of the field, while Bobby de Cordova moved – Reid, Andreas Pereira, and Willian, behind Serbian striker Mitrovic.

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Fulham almost opened the scoring early in the second minute, when Pereira reversed a cross from the right, Diop lifted it with his head, but goalkeeper David De Gea saved his attempt.

Manchester United’s first serious chances came in the 13th minute, when Rashford launched a counterattack, before passing to Fighurst, who got rid of a defender before hitting a weak ball that was controlled by goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Rashford’s cross passed in front of Fulham’s goal, without receiving a follow-up in the 23rd minute, and Fulham players demanded a penalty kick after Mitrovic fell inside the area, but the referee ordered to continue playing.

Mitrovic’s header, after a cross from Robinson, did not constitute a danger to United’s goal in the 31st minute, and Fernandez prepared the ball for Sabitzer, who fired a powerful shot that Leno controlled in two waves in the 40th minute.

And in stoppage time, Titi created space for himself on the right side, before hitting a ball that passed by the goal, then McTominay’s attempt rebounded from Reim, following a pass from Sancho.

Fulham had a strong start in the second half, as Maguire scattered a ball to Paulinia, who in turn passed it to Robinson, whose shot was saved by De Gea in the 48th minute, and one minute later, the Spanish goalkeeper returned to save his goal from a shot by Willian.

Fulham was able to open the scoring in the 50th minute when Pereira ran out of a corner kick, and it reached Diop, who winked at Mitrović, and the Serbian striker completed it in the net.

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United tried to equalize, as Rashford equipped the ball to Fernandez, who fired a shot wide of the goal in the 54th minute.

Anthony entered the United squad instead of McTominay, and Mitrović rose to Pereira’s cross, to follow it with a header before De Gea excelled in saving it in the 64th minute.

The atmosphere became tense in the 70th minute, when the referee awarded a penalty kick to United with the help of video technology, so coach Silva got a red card before Willian caught up with him, then Mitrovic objected and he was also sent off, and Fernandez executed the kick successfully in the 75th minute.

Two minutes later, United took advantage of the numerical veto in the ranks of its opponents, to score the lead goal, when Shaw passed the ball from the left to Sabitzer, who winked it from close range into the net.

Fulham seemed helpless after the expulsions, so Leno saved his goal from a Sabitzer shot in the 85th minute, and Anthony exchanged the ball with Sancho before he hit hard, but the German goalkeeper was present again in the 88th minute.

And in stoppage time, Fernandez scored his second goal in the match, when he received a pass from substitute Farid, to shoot into the net.

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