Amad himself has had an incredible career, so it was only right for him to score (and get sent off for) Manchester United’s victory over Liverpool in this FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford. It seemed like that.
United won 4-3 after extra time, ending Liverpool’s hopes of winning four trophies and bringing relief to manager Erik ten Hag.
After United winger Anthony’s equalizer near the end of the second half to end regular time 2-2, Harvey Elliott scored in extra-time for Liverpool and Marcus Rashford made up for an obvious mistake earlier on. I scored a goal.
Amad’s late finish resulted in a second yellow card for removing his shirt while celebrating a goal, and that was the final moment of a ridiculous match.
United will face Coventry City in the semi-finals, while Manchester City will face Chelsea.
The AthleticJames Pearce, Dan Sheldon and Mark Carey break down all the action at Old Trafford.
Is it time to stop overlooking Amado?
Amad, who signed in October 2020 for a fee worth £37.5 million ($47.8 million at current rates) including add-ons, has finally seen his moment in a United shirt.
He joined in January 2021 but was not given a chance and ended up being loaned to Rangers and Sunderland. He performed well for both clubs and won Sunderland’s Young Player of the Season award.
Amad, who suffered a knee injury during the preseason and was sidelined until December, has struggled this season as well.
United fans have been wondering why Ten Hag has not played against him in recent weeks and after his cameo against Liverpool it will be difficult for the Dutchman to continue to miss him.
Amad replaced Raphael Varane in the 85th minute and produced a strong performance, constantly putting pressure on Liverpool’s defenders and trying to turn things around.
He received an unnecessary yellow card for blocking a Liverpool free-kick, and then received a second yellow card for taking off his shirt to celebrate, but was denied a victory in front of the Stretford End. There will be no problem with United qualifying for the FA Cup. semifinal.
Dan Sheldon
How did Liverpool miss it?
When Virgil van Dijk led his team-mates into the away end after the final whistle, they looked as shocked as the 9,000 Liverpool fans in front of them.
Liverpool’s hopes of winning four trophies have ended. They will not feature in the FA Cup final as part of Klopp’s emotional farewell in May.
It was a classic, but Liverpool had only themselves to blame for the defeat. His wounds were self-inflicted.
The management of the game, which led 2-1 with 3 minutes left in regular time and 3-2 with 8 minutes left in overtime, greatly disappointed the team. As you can see in the image below, they dominated the ball but allowed United to create quality goal chances, which is reflected in his expected goals (xG) of 3.4.
They will be full of regrets – not least of all the chances they squandered on the counter-attack in the second half that should have equalized. Their wastefulness left the door open and United took full advantage of it.
In the build-up to Rashford’s equaliser, Darwin Nunez gave away the ball easily and United’s dramatic late goal came from a Liverpool corner. They exposed themselves badly and paid the price.
It didn’t match Liverpool’s performance this season. They must focus their efforts on aiming for Premier League and Europa League glory in order to build on their Carabao Cup victory.
james pierce
Why did United attack from the left?
United’s attacking intent was clear from the start, and they were aiming down the left flank.
Rashford’s pace means they are a constant threat in wide areas, but United create an overload early on, with Koby Mainu supporting Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho streaming in from the right. He participated in the match himself.
With Mohamed Salah not doing a good enough job of supporting the full-backs defensively, United look to repeatedly punish Liverpool by isolating Joe Gomez, dragging him in and exposing open gaps. And so.
As you can see from the diagram above, 53% of United’s attacking touches were aimed at the left third of the pitch. For context, the only time they have given that side more weight in all competitions this season was in last month’s 3-0 Premier League win over West Ham United.
Ten Hag’s second-half substitution meant Garnacho would be the main player on the left for an extended period of time, but Liverpool also brought in substitutes to change up their defense.
Nevertheless, the tenacity of United’s lopsided attacking approach was clearly by design rather than chance.
mark carey
Where did United lose control?
The home fans could hardly have asked for a better start.
Ten Hag’s team were dominating their arch-rivals, with a cacophony of noise galvanizing them every time they crossed the halfway line. Scott McTominay’s opening goal was minimal for the first 10 minutes.
Part of the reason for such early dominance was the great work of United’s midfield. With Casemiro sidelined, McTominay partnered Maynou in the center of the park, supported by Bruno Fernandes who continued to attack.
In the early stages, United created an overload (particularly on the left flank, as you can see in the passing map below), remained disciplined and repeatedly broke through Liverpool.
The problem is that such an advantage was not sustained.
Liverpool regained a foothold in the game but were conceded by United. Previously, the distance between United’s midfielders was tight and contained, but gaps are starting to open up and Liverpool’s midfield could run in behind Mainu and McTominay, quickly putting pressure on United’s defence. Sound familiar?
Although they lacked Casemiro’s experience, a porous midfield has been a theme throughout United’s season.
United fans will be pleased to see that the end of the game mirrored the beginning, with Liverpool dominating much of the play for long stretches of time, but finding their way to victory.
mark carey
How did Quansar step up?
Liverpool were looking for inspiration after finding themselves behind late in the first half at Old Trafford. It came from an unexpected source.
After evaluating his options 30 yards from goal, academy graduate Jarel Quansah decided to take matters into his own hands, spotting a space he could exploit. The 21-year-old defender showed off his speed and strength as he darted away from Rashford and into the penalty area.
Quansah then calmly made the right choice and rolled the ball to Nunez’s feet. Nunez’s lay-off was scored by Alexis Mac Allister after a deflection from Maynou.
It has been a fantastic season for the England Under-21 international, who has been part of the club since he was five years old. Back in July last year, he was looking to go on loan again after spending some quality time with League One side Bristol Rovers in the second half of last season.
An impressive pre-season saw him effectively start the season as Liverpool’s fifth-choice centre-back, forcing his way into manager Klopp’s plans. He never dreamed he would be able to record 25 senior appearances by mid-March.
Quansah puts pressure on Garnacho (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
He seized the opportunity that came his way and ensured Liverpool progressed despite injuries to Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate.
The double act of master and disciple with Van Dijk produced great results. Quansar is technically talented and has the personality and temperament to match. Nothing upsets him.
A week after silencing Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, he shined as he got his first taste of the heated rivalry between Liverpool and United. Another box was checked in his amazing journey.
james pierce
Where has all this intensity gone from United?
Manchester United came out of the blocks and reached an energy level where they had been out of the blocks all season.
From an attacking point of view they had Liverpool on the ropes and should have been leading 2-0, but McTominay missed a relatively easy chance to double the score.
United had seven shots on target in the opening 45 minutes, but were once again thwarted by Liverpool’s speed in transition, and when they won the ball they took advantage of an opening through the home team’s midfield.
Manchester United had seven shots on target in the first half against Liverpool.
Since the 2006-07 season, United have only had a shot on target in the first 45 of a game twice (against Norwich City in October 2019 and Burton Albion in September 2017). pic.twitter.com/tcNabRTaai
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) March 17, 2024
Some attacks failed because bad decisions were made. This included counters led by McTominay. Rather than pass the ball to Garnacho on the right, he chose to pass to Rasmus Hejlund, who was covered by the Liverpool defence.
Garnacho created a chance for Hojlund inside the area, but the Danish international slipped while taking the shot. But in terms of missed chances, few surpassed Rashford’s normal chance to equalize in the dying moments.
Dan Sheldon
How important is Mainu to United?
Mainoo was left out of this month’s England squad, but if he maintains his current form, it won’t be long before he hears from Gareth Southgate.
He started the game as intended, linking up with Aaron Wan-Bissaka to create chances in the early exchanges.
The United midfielder once again showed off his exquisite footwork, dribbling past Wataru Endo and Joe Gomez before Rashford won the ball in the first half. It may seem simple for 18-year-old Mainu, but it hasn’t been easy.
(Michael Regan/Getty Images)
He remained the bright spark in a largely disappointing season at United, showing quality in attack and defence. His final contribution was a sliding tackle inside United’s box to deny Elliott a shot on goal.
When Mainoo pulled himself out of trouble, the crowd at Old Trafford stood and applauded. He raised his arms high to cheer up the atmosphere.
His performance alone wasn’t enough to lead United to victory, but he’s sure to lead the team to multiple wins in the coming years.
Dan Sheldon
What did the managers say?
eric ten hag “The first 30 minutes were the best of the whole season. We acted as a team, but there were gaps between the lines. We can’t allow this against one of the best teams in Europe.” he told ITV Sport. They outperformed us.
“Then we made changes, took risks and the players were great. Their attitude was great and they had a strong belief that they were going to win this game.
“Rashford is resilient and keeps pushing forward. Normally you would end the moment, but he kept pushing forward looking for the next chance. That inspired other players.
“We have a team that is looking to the future. We’re going to have players like (Amado) Diallo, (Alejandro) Garnacho and Coby Mainu who are very improving.”
What’s next for Manchester United?
Saturday, March 30th: Brentford (A), Premier League, 8pm GMT, 4pm ET
McTominay was Manchester United’s hero in the comeback, scoring twice in stoppage time to give his side from The Hag a dramatic 2-1 victory.
What’s next for Liverpool?
Sunday March 31st: Brighton (H), Premier League, 2pm GMT, 10am ET
The event took place when Liverpool played Brighton at the Amex in October. As the title race enters the home straight, they will realize they cannot afford to drop any more points.
(Top photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
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(Top photo: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
