Manchester United bowed out of the FA Cup in the fourth round last night after a shock penalty shoot-out defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough.
The Red Devils went into the game on a two-match winning streak that included a 1-0 triumph over West Ham United. Marcus Rashford bagged a dramatic 93rd-minute winner.
It was anticipated that the club would comfortably see off Boro yesterday, but it was not the case as they were made to rue for missed scoring chances throughout the encounter.
Sancho missed a golden opportunity in the second minute as his attempted lob over the goalkeeper hit the crossbar. Cristiano Ronaldo then squandered a penalty in the 20th minute.
United eventually opened the scoring through Sancho moments later. The England international’s left-footed shot was deflected beyond the grasp of goalkeeper Joe Lumley at his far post.
Middlesbrough equalised shortly after the hour mark before taking the game to extra-time and penalties, but the tie could have been a whole lot different if the Red Devils were clinical up front.
Rashford, Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes were far from their best. Fernandes was the biggest culprit in the second half as he hit the post when he had an almost empty net in front of him.
Despite the disappointing outcome, there were few positives to take forward. Sancho produced a lively performance from the left wing after making amends for his early miss.
The England star registered 66 touches while completing 46 of his 50 passes attempted. He won four ground duels alongside two tackles. Unfortunately, his goal was not sufficient for the win.
Sancho could not carry on beyond the 100th minute due to fatigue, but it was an overall impressive effort from the 21-year-old, who netted his first goal in front of his home supporters.
He has looked far from his old self since his big-money move from Borussia Dortmund. The onus will now be on finding consistency to boost the club’s prospects of finishing in the Premier League top four.
Despite the setback last night, United can still win silverware through the Champions League.
Judging by recent attacking displays, they don’t have much chance of progressing deeper into the competition.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com and SofaScore.com.
