MANCHESTER, England — In a thrilling finish, Manchester United triumphed over Leicester City with a controversial injury-time goal from Harry Maguire, securing a 2-1 victory and advancing to the last 16 of the FA Cup on Friday evening.
Leicester broke the deadlock just before halftime when Bobby De Cordova-Reid found the back of the net, putting United on the back foot. However, Joshua Zirkzee leveled the score in the 68th minute, setting the stage for Maguire’s dramatic late strike. The winner was met with heated discussion over a potential offside, but without Video Assistant Referee technology in use for this match, the goal was allowed to stand.
Leicester’s head coach, Ruud van Nistelrooy, expressed his frustration regarding the decision, stating, “This loss was unnecessary. It was half a meter offside. If it had gone to extra time, who knows what could have happened? We deserved a chance to fight for penalties. Decisions like this at our level are hard to take.”
With this result, Manchester United made history by achieving three victories at home against Leicester within the same season, following previous wins of 5-2 in the League Cup and 3-0 in the Premier League at Old Trafford.
This match proved to be a significant boost for United’s new manager, Ruben Amorim, while it marked a disappointing moment for Van Nistelrooy, who had previously served as interim manager at United before taking over at Leicester.
Leicester, former champions of the FA Cup, entered the halftime break with a slender lead. The opening goal came when Manuel Ugarte lost possession near the sideline, leading to a low cross from Bilai El Khannouss that Wilfred Ndidi directed toward the goal; it was inadvertently deflected off De Cordova-Reid for the score.
United’s fortunes shifted in the second half with the introductions of substitutes Alejandro Garnacho and Zirkzee, who energized the team. Zirkzee scored the equalizer with a straightforward finish following a strong run from Garnacho down the left flank.
As the match appeared destined for extra time, Bruno Fernandes delivered a long ball into the box, where Maguire managed to nod the ball home for the winner.
“It was a fantastic finish to the game,” Maguire reflected. “We improved significantly in the second half. The first half wasn’t good enough; we played at a slow tempo and failed to get into our rhythm. Garnacho had a tremendous impact; he always does when he comes off the bench. Credit goes to him for being ready and focused.”
