Manchester United are through to the fifth round of the FA Cup following their 3-1 win over Reading at Old Trafford. The Red Devils got to a comfortable win against the Championship side thanks to their two midfielders. It was Casemiro who proved the key man in the match and not only in his usual defensive heroics. The Brazilian broke the deadlock after 54 minutes, scoring first of his two goals. He was assisted first by his compatriot Antony, before another Brazilian, Fred, made the assist for Casemiro’s brace four minutes later.
Right there and then it became obvious who was going to win. But following Andy Carroll’s red card with two yellows in the span of mere five minutes, it was this time Fred who scored the third, putting on a show among United’s Brazilian trio. Before the end of the match, Amadou Salif Mbengue scored the consolation goal for the Royals, but the final result was never in danger for Erik Ten Hag’s side.
No Messing Around In The FA Cup
Man United are doing great in their cup competitions this season. This is in part thanks to good draws so far, but also due to the fact Erik Ten Hag is really serious about winning silverware in League Cup or the FA Cup. With the team on the verge of reaching the League Cup final, the Dutchman did not want to leave anything to chance, so he decided to put out the strongest possible team against the 16th team of the Championship.
He could have given some playing time to the likes of Alejandro Garnacho or Facundo Pellistri, but he decided to take the FA Cup with utmost seriousness, showing that every competition is important, especially as United could win the trophy much easier in those competitions this season. Considering all of that, it is no wonder United got to a comfortable win.
Casemiro The Fan Favourite For A Reason
Casemiro was a year ago playing for Real Madrid, on his way to win his fifth Champions League title, but at times, it seems as if he enjoys his time at Manchester United more than he did at Santiago Bernabeu. While that might be a controversial topic to some, it is clear that the Brazilian midfielder loves it in Manchester and the fans love him in return as well. It was not just his two goals that he scored last night, but his overall energy and eagerness to do the best in every single situation. Casemiro’s performances since his arrival have been world class.
Weghorst Offers What Ten Hag Wanted
Many were surprised when Ten Hag decided to go after Wout Weghorst on a loan deal this month. But the Dutch striker has once again proved he does things the manager wants of his strikers to do – press. And a lot. This is what Weghorst was doing against Reading, initiating the entire attacking line to press the opposing defence, to try and proactively get to the ball as soon as possible. This time he did not score, but the striker caught the attention in this regard.
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