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Joao Pedro scored three goals, securing Brighton’s spot in the FA Cup fifth round with a 5-2 victory against Sheffield United.
Pedro netted two goals from penalty kicks and also launched a powerful 18-yard shot into the goal after Facundo Buonanotte’s impressive goal had put the Seagulls in the lead early on. Danny Welbeck scored a final goal in the last moments of the game to secure a resounding win.
The Blades fought their way back from a 2-0 deficit, with goals scored by Gus Hamer and Will Osula. However, they ultimately lost to the superior team at Bramall Lane.
Last year’s tournament saw both teams reach the semi-finals, but it is Roberto De Zerbi’s team that has hopes of a repeat success while United focuses on avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
Brighton had a goal disallowed for offside prior to scoring a sublime goal in the 14th minute.
Buonanotte picked the ball up in the middle of the hosts’ half and jinked past a tackle before unleashing an unstoppable drive that found the top corner from 25 yards.
Just four minutes after, United could have tied the game if it weren’t for the impressive defensive efforts of Jan Paul van Hecke and Igor Julio. They prevented shots from Osula and Hamer in rapid succession.
This turned out to be crucial, as Brighton scored their second goal just before the 30-minute mark. Pedro’s impressive display of skill allowed him to enter the penalty area, where he was fouled by Jayden Bogle.
The forward got back on his feet and successfully scored his 16th goal of the season from the penalty spot.
In the 42nd minute, Sheffield United scored a goal when Osula ran down the right and sent a cross into the box. Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen tried to save it, but it bounced right to Hamer who shot it into the net.
In the 98th minute of added time, they tied the game when Osula scored with a header from a close-range cross by Bogle.
The tension persisted in the latter half as Brighton once again took the lead seven minutes into the start of the half with Pedro netting his second penalty, calmly slotting the ball into the net after Bogle’s handball from a cross.
Bogle attempted to rectify his mistake on the opposite side of the field as he was the target of a swift offensive move, but his shot towards goal was thwarted by Pervis Estupinan.
In the 67th minute, Pedro scored three goals in a row for the first time in his career, securing the win with a precise shot into the lower corner.
United did not pose a threat to make a comeback in the game, and Brighton sealed their victory with a fifth goal in added time when Welbeck scored past Blades’ new goalkeeper Ivo Grbic.
Source: independent.co.uk
