Casemiro’s crucial header in the 89th minute secured a hard-fought and somewhat messy victory for Manchester United against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup. The match evoked memories of Mark Robins’ famous goal in 1990, which is credited with saving Sir Alex Ferguson’s job. Now, at the City Ground 34 years later, it seems Casemiro may have done the same for Erik ten Hag.
Casemiro’s deft touch on Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick left Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner bewildered, ultimately granting the Red Devils a narrow win. Despite a lengthy injury list, Fernandes and Raphael Varane battled through the pain, and United did what was necessary to secure the victory.
The team heavily relied on a series of exceptional saves from Andre Onana and managed to advance despite another lackluster performance from Marcus Rashford. While the win sets up an exciting quarter-final encounter with Liverpool, Ten Hag’s side will need to significantly improve their performance if they hope to avoid a potential annihilation by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Andre Onana (8/10): Always alert and made crucial saves to deny Awoniyi and Origi.
Diogo Dalot (7/10): Contained Elanga well and provided support when moving into midfield.
Victor Lindelof (6/10): Assured performance at center-back, contributed with blocks and clearances.
Raphael Varane (5/10): Overcame injury concerns but struggled to progress the ball forward effectively.
Sofyan Amrabat (4/10): Exposed for lack of pace, and passing was sloppy.
Scott McTominay (5/10): Created danger with movement but missed key chances.
Casemiro (6/10): Held midfield together, though attacking play was inconsistent. Got the crucial final touch.
Bruno Fernandes (6/10): Recovered from injury scare, had a mixed performance but played a crucial role in the victory.
Antony (6/10): Hit the crossbar and had a decent first half, but performance dropped in the second half.
Marcus Rashford (4/10): Missed opportunities and struggled to find space or hold up the ball.
Alejandro Garnacho (5/10): Quiet game, lacked sparkle after switching to the left wing.
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