A hard-fought win at Old Trafford was enough for Erik ten Hag’s men to stay in the FA Cup.
Manchester United defeated Fulham 3-1 in their FA Cup clash on Sunday. Bruno Fernandes scored twice as the Red Devils reached the competition’s final four.
A second-half comeback!
Man Utd struggled to find their feet in the game early on as Fulham kept pushing for a breakthrough.
The Cottagers created a host of dangerous chances, forcing David De Gea to make some crucial saves.
Marcel Sabitzer and Marcus Rashford tried their luck from long-range, but their shots weren’t enough to register United’s first goal of the night.
The pace of the game increased rapidly after the break. The Red Devils increased the pressure on Fulham’s backline while the visitors made fast-paced counter-attacks.
Fulham’s efforts finally paid off when Aleksandar Mitrovic made it 1-0 in the 50th minute. The Serbian star smashed the ball behind De Gea from inside the six-yard box to put his side ahead.
The goal forced Man Utd to go all in with their attacks, putting pressure on Fulham from both flanks. They finally managed to break Fulham’s resistance when Willian stopped Jadon Sancho’s shot on target with his hand.
The referee awarded the hosts a penalty and sent off Willian with a straight red card. Things got worse for Fulham when Mitrovic lost his temper and pushed the referee during his protest.
The referee went on to show a straight red card to Mitrovic as the visitors went two men down. Bruno Fernandes converted the penalty with a cool shot to bring United back into the game.
The Red Devils completed their comeback only two minutes later. Following an assist from Luke Shaw, Marcel Sabitzer flicked the ball over Bernd Leon after a half-turn.
Nine-man Fulham tried to bounce back in the final ten minutes, but tired legs prevented them from edging out United’s solid backline.
The Red Devils secured their win when Fernandes completed his brace in the 96th minute. An assist from Fred found the Portuguese midfielder, who smashed the ball past Leno with a powerful shot from inside the box.
The Red Devils will take on Brighton in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Player Ratings
Man Utd: De Gea (8), Wan-Bissaka (6), Maguire (7), Martinez (7), Shaw (6), Sabitzer (8), McTominay (6), Sancho (6), B. Fernandes (9), Rashford (5), Weghorst (7).
Bench: Fred (6), Antony (7).
Fulham: Leno (6), Tete (6), Diop (7), Ream (6), Robinson (5), Reed (6), Palhinha (7), Reid (5), Pereira (6), Willian (5), Mitrovic (6).
Bench: Soares (5), Cairney (-), Solomon (6), D. James (5).
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