Hello hello and welcome along to our minute-by-minute coverage of this evening’s FA Cup quarter-final between Wolves and Manchester United at Molineux.
A cup semi-final at Wembley is up for grabs and with Wolves having already dumped Liverpool out — combined with an impressive return to the Premier League this season which sees them skirting around the possibility of a Europa League finish — this promises to be an excellent game.
After their Champions League miracle in Paris a fortnight ago it looked for a good while like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s red machine might never suffer the bitter taste of defeat. But last weekend’s 2-0 humbling at the Emirates at the hands of Arsenal brought a hault to United’s ongoing momentum.
Yesterday they were drawn against Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the next two months will prove to be crucial for everyone at Old Trafford as they attempt to secure a top four finish, cause the upset of upsets against Barca and keep the possibility of silverware alive as well. Enter the FA Cup.
Solskjaer won this competition twice, in 1999 and again in 2004, and would undoubtedly relish the opportunity to deliver a trophy upon his return in the dugout. He surely has the manager’s gig in the bag already, but an FA Cup triumph would be the cherry on top at this stage.
His side face a stiff test today. Wolves, as mentioned, knocked Liverpool out in the third round at this venue two months ago and will fancy their chances against any opposition — they have forced all of Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and both Manchester clubs to drop points this season.
Kick-off is coming up in just over an hour’s time at 7.55pm, with today’s game live on BBC One if you happen to be near a TV.
Let’s get started with the team news…
Here's how Wolves line-up for tonight's @EmiratesFACup tie against @ManUtd. #WOLMUN
— Wolves (@Wolves) March 16, 2019
🐺📋 pic.twitter.com/qAupqOv2qn
TEAM NEWS: There are three changes from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from last weekend’s defeat to Arsenal.
Sergio Romero replaces David de Gea between the sticks, Ander Herrera comes in to for Fred in midfield and Anthony Martial comes in for Romelu Lukaku up front.
For Wolves, Nuno Espírito Santo makes just one change from his side’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea last Sunday.
John Ruddy replaces Rui Patricio in goal and everyone else outfield remains as is.
Man United: Romero, Dalot, Lindelof, Smalling, Shaw, Herrera, Matic, Pogba (c), Lingard, Rashford, Martial.
Substitutes: De Gea, Jones, Rojo, Pereira, Fred, McTominay, Mata.
Wolves: Ruddy, Boly, Coady, Saiss, Otto, Doherty, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Raul, Jota.
Substitutes: Norris, Bennett, Cavaleiro, Costa, Gibbs-White, Vinagre, Traore.
It’s been 59 long years since Wolves have won the FA Cup, whereas today’s visitors to Molineux have to go back just three years since a Louis van Gaal led Man United beat Chelsea at Wembley to record a 12th triumph.
Who’s going to come out on top this evening? Let us know below.
Poll Results:
You want the arrivals video? You got the arrivals video! 😁 #MUFC #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/FJaLQq9plT
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 16, 2019
What the manager’s have said…
Nuno Espírito Santos: “It is the biggest game for the club for some time, we are aware of that.
“There is a lot of hard work ahead to repeat what happened in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. It was easier back then.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: “Last season you were impressed with them to go through the Championship as they did convincingly.
“They had a clear plan – didn’t get Championship players in, [but] players above the Championship level – and you can see that now, in seventh, they trust their own way of playing.
“They defended fantastically well against Chelsea but at home they take the game to the opponent with the great passing ability in the team.”
Some pre-game reading material ahead of kick-off:
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Man United have quality to win Champions League
- Matt Doherty: ‘I’m playing in the Premier League every weekend. It’s a dream come true’
- Solskjaer offers old friend Scholes invite after Oldham Athletic departure
- Xhaka and Aubameyang on target as Arsenal hand Solskjaer first Premier League defeat
- As he turns 30, a look at Theo Walcott’s weird and disappointing career
KICK-OFF: We’re underway at Molineux for the first half!
There’s a cracking atmosphere inside the ground for this one. Wolves are back in the big time following last season’s promotion to the top-flight and the club’s impressive fireworks display and flashy choreography in the crowd before kick-off reflects as such. A club with big ambitions.
Manchester United are settling into a comfortable spell of possession early on. Luke Shaw, who is making his 100th appearance for the club this evening, is right in the thick of it seeing plenty of the ball down that left wing.
Pushing and probing, hushing the ball from side to side, United are enjoying more or less all of the ball here. Wolves are proving tricky to break down with that bank of five at the back patrolled diligently by Conor Coady.
We’ve had out first utterance of ‘Matt Dock-ety’ inside the ten minute mark. Painful as ever to hear the Ireland defender’s surname absolutely butchered, but good to get it out the way early on I suppose.
Paul Pogba breaks the early tension with a shot. A decent move through midfield sees Jesse Lingard surrender possession to his team-mate, Pogba attempts a dinked effort aiming for John Ruddy’s far corner, but it flies just wide of the post.
Another shot. Marcus Rashford makes sure Ruddy is alive and alert on his goal-line with a half-hearted effort from the guts of 30 yards out. It manages to hit the target, but the Wolves goalkeeper manages it comfortably with an easy save.
Much better spell from Wolves now. A good passage of passing play sees the ball manoeuvred from one end of the pitch to the other. Matt Doherty cuts inside and finds Raul Jimenez inside the box, with the striker’s cross ushered out for a corner to the hosts.
Joao Moutinho’s delivery is easily beaten away at the first hurdle. But Wolves are beginning to fight back now after being pinned inside their own half for the opening 10 to 15 minutes of this quarter-final.
Raul Jimenez puts Victor Lindelöf under pressure. A stray bounce of the ball sees the Swedish defender look a bit nervy, but he manages to bring it under control and find a team-mate.
Man United have enjoyed 63% possession so far, but have struggled to properly test John Ruddy, who is yet to make a save. Similarly Sergio Romero has enjoyed a relatively quiet evening so far at the other end. A very lax start, it has to be said.
Almost a half-chance for Man United. A Luke Shaw corner played short is funnelled into the box where Jesse Lingard is free and in space. He smacks a dangerous cross into the box looking for Marcus Rashford, but the ball hooked away by Conor Coady who read the danger.
A much more open game now as Wolves speed down the other end. Conor Coady finds Diogo Jota down the left wing and he crosses looking for Raul Jimenez, but it’s put out for a corner kick.
Close! Ruben Neves with Wolves’ best effort of the evening so far. The resulting corner is cleared out to the 22-year-old midfielder who shows brilliant technique to smack the ball low and on target, but Romero is equal to it and smoothers the chance with a good save to his left.
Jota throws his hands into the air in despair. He attempts a scissor-kick from inside the box following Matt Doherty’s inviting cross right into the mixer, but his shot is right at Romero. Another effort on target for the hosts, but one Jota might have done better with.
Wolves have enjoyed the upper hand over the last little while, it has to be said. They have shown themselves not to be cowed by any team from inside the top six so far this season, recently coming agonisingly close to beating Chelsea last weekend before Eden Hazard’s late, late equaliser.
Another promising attack down the right from Wolves. Leander Dendoncker attempts to fizz the ball into the box towards Jimenez and Jota, but Luke Shaw recovers and blocks the chance out for a throw-in. Good defending.
Some shouts for a penalty as Chris Smalling and Willy Boly come together inside the box, with the Wolves defender ending up on the deck. Referee Martin Atkinson waves play on, seeing no infringement.
This game has burst into life now. Wave after wave of Wolves attacks has the crowd standing and waving and screaming and shouting. Another corner is swung in, this time by Ruben Neves, but Willy Boly’s header is blocked and hoofed clear.
Save! A fantastic save from Sergio Romero denies Diogo Jota what really should have been the opening goal of the evening. Man United’s high line is found wanting as Jota sprints clean through on goal. The striker has a one-one-one with Romero, but his right-footed effort is beaten away expertly by the Argentinian who is forced to come from his line.
Half-time approaching just as this game is beginning to find its feet and catch fire. It was a fairly slow, sluggish start but all of a sudden there are chances aplenty as space begins to open up and gaps in defence emerge at both ends.
There will be one minute of stoppage time to come at the end of the first half.
HALF-TIME: WOLVES 0-0 MAN UNITED
A very exciting, end-to-end conclusion to the opening 45 minutes as nothing separates the sides. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men enjoyed the lion’s share of possession inside the opening half an hour, but did little to test John Ruddy.
At the other end Diego Jota and Raul Jimenez have worked their socks off. Wolves have always been a threat on the break, especially down that righthand side, with Jota’s one-one-one with Sergio Romero the closest either side has come to a goal. It was a superb save from the Argentinian to keep his clean sheet in-tact.
More action to come shortly!
This one is finely poised at the interval. #MUFC #EmiratesFACup
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 16, 2019
Live reaction to the first half: https://t.co/DT0cabDrJc pic.twitter.com/iLJRCTzSa0
SECOND-HALF: We’re back underway for another 45 minutes!
Shot! A chance right from tip-off for Manchester United. Marcus Rashford bursts clear with tremendous pace, brushing Conor Coady aside before lining up a right-footed effort. Rashford gets plenty of power and drive behind his strike, but it flies the wrong side of the post. Very, very nearly the breakthrough.
Ruben Neves collects possession 30 yards out. He knows how to hit them from this distance and tries his luck again. The Portugal international smashes a decent strike bending towards goal, but it bends too far and flies wide.
Two chances in quick succession for Wolves. Raul Jimenez collects the ball with his back to goal but successfully holds off the challenge of Luke Shaw before chipping an effort over the top of the crossbar.
Save! Another outstanding stop from Sergio Romero keeps it level. Raul Jimenez fires a powerful header goal-bound, an effort that seemed absolutely certain to fly into the top corner, but Romero leaps into the air with some incredible acrobatics and palms the ball over the crossbar. Fantastic goalkeeping yet again.
Neves is causing all sorts of problems in that attacking playmaker role. Matic, Herrera and Pogba are struggling to keep the 22-year-old quiet, with his passes cutting the United defence apart at the moment.
Another save from Romero, who has his work cut out in this game. Joao Moutinho takes advantage of that ocean of space which has been prevalent in front of the United defence all evening. He tees himself up for a go at goal and swings a decent strike towards the top corner. Romero reads the flight of the ball well and gets a strong fist to push the ball over his crossbar.
Nuno Espírito Santos’s men have enjoyed 12 shots compared to United’s 7, despite the fact that the hosts have maintained just over a third of possession in this quarter-final so far. His side seem to be proving that you don’t need the ball to be on top.
Nemanja Matic picks up a yellow card, United’s third of the evening. The Serbian was beaten by Diogo Jota and just left his foot in rashly. Martin Atkinson puts his name in the book.
Less than half an hour to go and still nothing to separate the sides. John Ruddy has had a relatively quiet evening, but he is forced to come from his goal-line to gather following a promising United attack.
Marcus Rashford with a free-kick in a dangerous position just outside the box. It’s not an ideal angle for a shot so instead the England striker decides to send the ball thundering into the area via a sharp, low cross. It fails to meet anybody and flies out the other side of the penalty area untouched.
GOAL! WOLVES 1-0 MAN UNITED (JIMENEZ 70)
After a whole lot of pushing and probing, Wolves finally find their breakthrough. Persistence pays off as Raul Jimenez slams a low right-footed effort into Sergio Romero’s bottom corner. The striker seemed to lose the run of the ball initially following a low cross into the box, but he did excellently to keep Victor Lindelöf away and sweep a low strike into the back of the net. A fine finish and the hosts lead!
Andreas Pereira comes on in place of Ander Herrera and has a shot immediately. The 23-year-old strikes a decent effort from range, but it fails to beat John Ruddy as Wolves try and hold onto this lead with 15 minutes to go.
GOAL! WOLVES 2-0 MAN UNITED (JOTA 76)
Wolves are in dreamland now! Diego Jota breaks away on the counter, turns Luke Shaw inside and out before slamming a precise, clinical effort low into Sergio Romero’s bottom corner. The goal started from a Man United corner and you have to give Jota so much credit for his persistence. He covered a lot of ground and still had the composure to provide the finish. It’s 2-0 and Nuno Espírito Santos’s side are on the cusp of the semi-finals unless Man United can produce something special here.
The atmosphere inside Molineux is absolutely electric as Wolves double their advantage. The home supporters have not enjoyed the pleasure of an FA Cup final since they last won the competition in 1960 and you get the sense they are beginning to dream now.
Victor Lindelöf seemed like he was going to be sent off there. A rash sliding challenge on Diego Jota down by the touchline looked to have earned the Swede his marching orders, but after a consultation with VAR referee Martin Atkinson deems the challenge only worthy of a yellow card.
Wolves spraying the ball back and forth now seeing out the game. This has been a thoroughly impressive display.
GOAL! WOLVES 2-1 MAN UNITED (RASHFORD 96)
There’s late drama at Molineux as Marcus Rashford halves the deficit deep into second half stoppage time. The England striker clamps the ball down with his back to goal before slamming the ball into John Ruddy’s bottom corner. Will there be time for another attack to try and force an equaliser?
FULL-TIME: WOLVES 2-1 MAN UNITED
It’s all over! There isn’t enough time for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men to try and force one more attack to try and grab an equaliser. Wolves prevail 2-1 to book their place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
It was a thoroughly impressive display from the hosts, with Raul Jimenez and Diego Jota on target with two well-taken finishes. Marcus Rashford grabbed a consolation in stoppage time, but it came too late for the visitors as Man United exit in the quarter-finals.
Thanks a million for joining us this evening, you can read our full match report here. Cya!
FT | #WOL 2-1 #MUN
— Wolves (@Wolves) March 16, 2019
IT'S ALL OVER! WOLVES ARE FA CUP SEMI-FINALISTS!
⏱🐺 pic.twitter.com/jrRCnlV3EC
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