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The Manchester home final is being held in England, in the world’s oldest football cup that still exists today. In the second semi-final of the FA Cup, the second-tier Coventry City came close, but could not perform a miracle against Manchester United, so the latter team followed Manchester City, who beat Chelsea 1-0 on Saturday, into the final.

MU, which is only in 7th place in the Premier League, played football with enormous dominance from the first minute, but all this was not coupled with huge chances. When in the 23rd minute Scott McTominay managed to take the lead with his strike, the close shot was only United’s second attempt on goal (0–1). Coventry, who play cultured football but did not pose any threat to André Onana’s goal, got even further away from the miracle in the 45th + 1st minute. Harry Maguire after a heel kick he nodded into the upper left corner (0–2).

After turning Bruno Fernandes further increased Manchester’s advantage – the Portuguese midfielder already earned immortal merits with his pass even after Maguire’s goal – with this we could have believed, reducing the remaining 30 minutes of the match to a formality (0–3).

But the Coventry players thought otherwise. In the 71st minute, Ellis Simms sent the ball into the lower left corner of the Manchester goal with a bravura move, almost scooping it back from behind. (1–3), then at the beginning of the hair Callum O’Hare his bouncing shot went past the helpless Onana to the upper right (2–3).

United were visibly confused, and Coventry came close to equalizing, but the Cameroon goalkeeper was able to save Victor Torp’s shot. However, this was still not the end, because in the 93rd minute, Aaron Wan-Bissaka scored a penalty for the second division rival… And the video footage confirmed the legitimacy of the penalty. Haji Wright – who scored for his team in the 100th minute in the quarter-final against Wolverhampton – did not shake this time either, while Onana shot to the right, Wright put it into the left side of the goal (3–3).

At the start of added time, the crossbar saved Coventry from another Fernandes goal. Casemiro had to make a save at the start of the break when the blue-white shirt counterattacked. In the 113th minute, Wright had a great chance, but his flat shot missed the bottom left corner by a few inches. And the American striker was even closer to the goal, as he also hit the crossbar in the 116th minute of the game!

Let’s say it’s a round pretzel, Coventry’s winning goal was ripe, and in the 120th minute, after Wright’s cross from the offside, Torp sent it into the net. Then we have to wait for minutes to find out if the goal is worth it. A long discussion followed in the VAR room, and finally, at the very end of the 123rd minute, the referee canceled the goal…

Penalties could come, and Casemiro immediately missed the first shot – envying Bernardo Silva’s penalty on Wednesday, he also shot in the middle, but weakly – and then came four point attempts. In the third pair, O’Hare made a mistake, so Bruno Fernandes already equalized in the duel with a calm position. Sheaf also messed up his own penalty, he didn’t find the goal either Rasmus Höjlund could already shoot for the final. The Dane did not tremble, with this, he saved MU’s dreams of the final and perhaps also the job of manager Erik ten Hag.

It is interesting that the two Manchester giants also played in the FA Cup final last season, when City won 2-1.

This year’s final will be held on May 25 – the venue, as it was for the semi-finals, will be Wembley.

FOOTBALL
FA CUP, PRELIMINARY
Coventry City (II)-Manchester United 3-3 (Simms 71., O’Hare 79., H. Wright 90 + 5., or McTominay 23., Maguire 45 + 1., Fernandes 58.) – with penalties: 2–4

Earlier
Manchester City-Chelsea 1-0 (B. Silva 84.)

(Photo: Getty Images Hungary)

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