FA Cup: United and Liverpool play out a classic
Manchester United 4 - 3 Liverpool
Manchester United secured their spot in the FA Cup semi-final after a dramatic 4-3 victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Before the game, everyone was talking about how strong Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool team was, but from the start, it was United who came out swinging with some serious attacking moves.
Just 10 minutes in, Alejandro Garnacho took a shot that got deflected, Caoimhin Kelleher tried to save it, but it ended up right in the path of Scott McTominay. Old Trafford erupted.
Liverpool fought back hard, and just before halftime, they managed to sneak in a couple of goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah, putting them at half-time.
The second half was tense, with both teams hunting for that next crucial goal. It wasn't until the home side made some attacking changes, thanks to Ten Hag's tactical moves, that the home side started to put some pressure. They finally found the equaliser. Antony, coming off the bench, saved the day for The Red Devils with a goal just before the final whistle. Rashford then missed a chance to win it for United in the 94th minute. Everyone thought the home side was going to take some momentum into extra time, but Liverpool went ahead.
Everyone thought Harvey Elliott's goal for Liverpool was going to be the decider, but Marcus Rashford had other plans, sending the crowd wild with another equaliser.
As the clock ticked on, it looked like penalties were on the cards, but then, out of nowhere, substitute Amad and Garnacho combined to snatch the win in the dying seconds. Old Trafford erupted for the fourth time and United fans went home happy.
120 minutes. Seven goals. A last-minute winner.
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 17, 2024
This clash between old rivals, @ManUtd and @LFC, will go down in the #EmiratesFACup history books 📚 pic.twitter.com/2CwhTgcZ6W
Important day for Ten Hag
Erik ten Hag's position as Manchester United's manager wasn't going to be decided by just one match, but even the usually composed Dutchman must have felt the weight of expectation ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford.
A loss would have only fuelled doubts about whether Ten Hag fits into the new football structure being crafted by the club's co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
On the other hand, a victory could have been the boost needed to convince the decision-makers at Old Trafford that Ten Hag is the right man for the job.
What a victory it turned out to be! It was an exhilarating game, packed with everything that makes Old Trafford such an iconic stadium.
No quadruple for Liverpool
Liverpool's quadruple dreams are over. https://t.co/i7SaQVzbw6 pic.twitter.com/UoeAtU6x1b
— European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) March 18, 2024
William, from Dublin, was in the away end at Old Trafford. He told us: "Now that's what you call an absolute sickener of a result. There goes the quadruple. We just let the game pass us by in the last 30 minutes and the attack didn't click. However, there is a definite argument that winning four trophies was always going to be difficult. Being able to play a league game on semi-final weekend potentially allows us to move ahead of Manchester City."
Framkie, another Liverpool fan, added: "What an incredible game! Evenly contested but Manchester United was victorious in the end. We dominated the second half, but unfortunately, we didn't put away our chances. We let the game slip away in the last 30 minutes and our attack didn't work well. Although some players did well, Nunez struggled. Despite Elliot's goal, he often struggled towards the end."
United to face Coventry in the semi-finals
After this sensational match against one set of rivals, United would have maybe been slightly relieved to have avoided Manchester City in the next stage of the competition. They will face Coventry City. Coventry also progressed after a dramatic encounter. They beat Wolves 3-2 with two goals in stoppage time. What part will Mark Robins play in deciding the fate of another United manager. Remember this cup match from 1990?
