Manchester United clawed back from a goal down to beat Leicester City in a 2-1 fourth-round FA Cup victory on Friday at Old Trafford, thanks to a last-gasp header from veteran defender Harry Maguire plus a strike from Joshua Zirkzee.
The game appeared to be heading into extra time before Maguire headed in the winner in the 93rd minute from Bruno Fernandes’ free kick, seconds before the final whistle. Replays showed he was offside, but VAR is not deployed in the first four rounds of the FA Cup.
The result handed United only their third win in their last eight games at Old Trafford across all competitions.
United were poor in the first half and Leicester capitalised in the 42nd minute when Wilfred Ndidi’s shot was blocked by keeper Andre Onana but Bobby De Cordova-Reid was there to head in the rebound from close range.
Zirkzee levelled in the 68th minute when Rasmus Hojlund’s effort was blocked by defender Caleb Okoli and the ball fell perfectly for Zirkzee to tap home just three minutes after he entered the game.
Match-winner Harry Maguire speaks
“A great finish to the game. The second half we played a lot better. The first-half was nowhere near good enough, we played at a slow tempo and we didn’t really get going. We probably deserved to go into half-time losing.”
On Garnacho’s second-half display: “He made a big impact, he always does that when he comes off the bench, so credit to him, he’s ready, he’s focused. We knew at half-time he’d bring a little more direct and pace into the team. But Joshua Zirkzee also came on and I thought he made a big difference.”
Full-time: Man Utd 2-1 Leicester
Roy Keane was scathing of United’s performance in the first half, calling them “boring”. He is a little more positive about the second, but still doesn’t seem particularly impressed.
“The linesman has to see it [Maguire being offside]. United got out of jail tonight. The performance itself was nowhere near good enough.”
Full-time: Man Utd 2-1 Leicester
And that is that. Alejandro Garnacho was the game-changer, coming off the bench at half-time. United were awful in the first half and not much better for early parts of the second, but eventually they found some urgency and pinned Leicester back. Even so, that was a cruel way for the Foxes to go out of the FA Cup.
Man Utd 2-1 Leicester
It was offside, quite clearly, but there is no VAR in the FA Cup. That’s so tough on Leicester.
GOAL! Man Utd 2-1 Leicester (Maguire, 90+3 min)
United have done it! Bruno Fernandes launches a last-ditch free-kick into the box and there’s Harry Maguire at the far post to head it across goal and into the far corner.
Heartbreak for Leicester.
Man Utd 1-1 Leicester
90 min: United are playing with an urgency and tempo that was badly missing in the first half. Zirkzee races back to win the ball from a Leicester midfielder and they are quickly back on the attack searching for this winner.
Man Utd 1-1 Leicester
87 min: United look like the only team likely to score in these final few minutes, but they are struggling to create anything clear-cut against a deep-set Leicester defence. Garnacho wriggles along the box and shoots low, but it’s well held by Hermansen.
Man Utd 1-1 Leicester
84 min: Yoro takes the ball towards the byline and wins a corner for United. The Stretford End roars as Bruno prepares to swing in the set-piece… which Hermansen punches away for another corner.
Man Utd 1-1 Leicester
81 min: Ugarte is booked for a late challenge.
Man Utd 1-1 Leicester
78 min: Oh, what a terrible finish! Garnacho plays a wonderful one-two with Dalot on the edge of the box and suddenly he’s in on goal down the left side. He pretends to go across goal before wrapping his foot around the ball with an effort towards the near post, but drags it horribly wide.
That should have been 2-1.
Source: independent.co.uk
