Manchester United secured a place in the last sixteen in the FA Cup on Saturday. Erik ten Hag saw his men at Old Trafford deal with Reading without any problems. The number sixteen from the Championship had to capitulate in the second after hits from Casemiro (twice) and Fred. To the great pleasure of Old Trafford, Reading striker Andy Carroll, known from his time at arch-rival Liverpool, also received a red card. Amadou Salif Mbengue’s honorary goal did not affect Manchester United: 3-1.
Ten Hag gave Harry Maguire a new chance in the base. The center defender struggled with injuries, but has also fallen sharply in the pecking order and has little time to play. On Saturday, Maguire was preferred to Lisandro Martínez, who was rested. With Tyrell Malacia and Wout Weghorst, both fit Dutchmen were in the base at Manchester United.
Brazilian????????! ???? Casemiro can write a goal behind his name! ??#ZiggoSport #FACup #MNUREA pic.twitter.com/INCk8mchoG
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) January 28, 2023
The first danger of the game came from the foot of Marcus Rashford, who fired a free kick dangerously towards Reading’s goal. After half a save, Christian Eriksen seemed to slide in the rebound, but a defender blocked at the last moment. United got the ball behind Reading’s goal line in the 35th minute. Rashford finished after a header from Weghorst, but the VAR ruled offside in the run-up: not a valid goal.
Through a Brazilian collaboration, the home team took the lead in the 54th minute. Antony sent a through ball to Casemiro, who worked the ball into the goal like a true striker with a nice lob: 1-0. Less than five minutes later, Casemiro fired in again, this time with a placed shot from enormous distance, which was touched lightly on the way: 2-0. It didn’t take long for Fred to take the margin to three for the hosts. The midfielder did that by chopping in a beautiful low cross from Bruno Fernandes: 3-0.
Beautiful ????????????! ?? United got the hang of it and scored the third ??#ZiggoSport #FACup #MNUREA pic.twitter.com/ueMvGvGXQO
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) January 28, 2023
Old Trafford had a great time, especially when a red card was handed out to Reading just before the third goal. It was of all Carroll, ex-striker of arch-rival Liverpool, who could be waved off with a second yellow card. Carroll got that second card for taking down Casemiro. Reading scored an honorary goal twenty minutes before the end, when Amadou Salif Mbengue headed in from a corner kick: 3-1. Reading decided in the final phase to also give second goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis playing minutes at Old Trafford and took first choice Joe Lumley to the side.