Manchester United’s exciting FA Cup victory was sealed by Amad Diallo, who was positioned on the left side of the field.
Manchester United’s exciting FA Cup victory was sealed by Amad Diallo, who was positioned on the left side of the field.
An incredible 4-3 extra-time win against fierce rivals Liverpool was secured by the incredibly effective substitute Amad Diallo, reviving Manchester United’s season and sending them into the FA Cup semi-finals.
Everything was on the edge of their seat at Old Trafford when these two legendary rivals finally met. As predicted, the match delivered, with a back-and-forth tempo that built to a thrilling finish.
While United got out to a quick start thanks to a goal from Scott McTominay, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool seemed like they were going to cruise to victory with to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah in the second half.
Erik ten Hag’s men put up little fight even though they were besieged. In spite of facing overwhelming opposition, substitute Antony scored an equalizer in the 87th minute.
In the quarterfinal, Marcus Rashford missed a golden chance to win with the final kick of regulation time, and the game’s wildly unpredictable outcome carried over into the extra period.
In the 105th minute, Liverpool substitute Harvey Elliott dealt a major blow. Nonetheless, the hosts came back from a tough situation, even with United fan Tyson Fury there.
At Old Trafford, things were turned on their head when Rashford equalized for United in the 112th minute and Diallo scored on a counterattack in stoppage time of extra time.
In the midst of the raucous celebrations on a day that cemented the winger’s place in Manchester United history and set the stage for a semi-final encounter against Championship side Coventry, the 21-year-old player was issued a red card after receiving a second caution for taking off his jersey.
United surprised everyone with a dominant first half performance in Sunday’s fast-paced and frenetic contest. Rashford, who had recently returned to the squad, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka both had early opportunities to score.
Even though neither team had a lopsided advantage, Salah still managed to hit a strong shot back towards the goal. But in the 10th minute, United scored a goal thanks to their early advantage.
Even though it was a poor decision, Alejandro Garnacho went for the shot instead of the pass. The ball looped thanks to a deflection by Caoimhin Kelleher, which allowed McTominay to stretch and score.
Midfielder Rashford had a golden chance to extend United’s advantage in the 35th minute, but after receiving a pass from Kobbie Mainoo and a cutback from Rashford, he sent a shot straight at Liverpool’s goalkeeper.
After that, Liverpool stepped up their game. After Wataru Endo sped past United’s goalie, Andre Onana made a great save to deny Luis Diaz a goal. The previous play had resulted in a goal, but it was disallowed for offside.
In the 44th minute, United was punished because they ignored those earlier warning signs, which made them look even more untidy.
Mac Allister was set up by Darwin Nunez after Liverpool center-back Jarell Quansah slid past him. Allister took a touch, shot, and the ball went in after it ricocheted off Mainoo.
As the game entered stoppage time, the visiting crowd of 9,000 fans erupted in applause and rose to their feet again.
After Joe Gomez’s foul complaint was disregarded, Bruno Fernandes delivered a cross that found its way past Nunez’s goalkeeper and into the hands of Salah, who scored a powerful rebound goal.
Andre Onana narrowly saved a shot from Nunez from going into the goal, giving Liverpool a chance as Manchester United’s defense had several holes.
While some United fans yelled obscene chants, Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai tried to set up a free-kick that eventually went over the crossbar.
It looked like Liverpool were heading for an easy win until Onana produced a spectacular stop against Nunez.
But Antony had other plans. He has failed to live up to expectations on multiple occasions since he arrived in 2022. He quickly twisted around after catching a loose ball inside the penalty box and scored a low shot with his less dominant right foot.
The atmosphere at Old Trafford was electric as Manchester United narrowly avoided losing a goal due to a cross-shot by Elliott that hit the post following a mistake by Onana. At the very end of the game, United had a fantastic chance to win it all.
After being sent in on goal by Christian Eriksen’s lofted pass, Rashford had only Kelleher to beat. However, Rashford’s calm touch and subsequent low attempt were both narrowly missed.
Everyone at Old Trafford was taken aback, even though there was a faint indication of offside. In addition, with the start of extra time, both teams had chances to score.
As the first half came to a close, Elliott tried a shot from 25 yards out. Onana managed to escape his strike when it rebounded off Eriksen’s boot and went through Harry Maguire’s knees.
Even though both sides were exhausted, United continued to play despite their haphazard configuration.
After Maguire saw a shot saved, Diallo broke up an offensive sequence in the 112th minute after intercepting a pass from a tired Nunez; McTominay then set up Rashford, who beat Kelleher.
United were able to keep Liverpool from scoring thanks to a McTominay pass that went wide. Afterwards, they launched a swift counteroffensive using Garnacho and Diallo.
Although he appeared to be taking a wide angle, the latter managed to beat Kelleher with a pinpoint low strike, resulting in mayhem and a red card for his enthusiastic celebration.