Brighton 0 Manchester United 0 (United win 7-6 on penalties)
And Victor Lindelöf must score. And he does score. At the end of 120 nerve-shredding minutes and seven rounds into the penalty shoot-out, it came down to the Manchester United central defender versus Robert Sánchez, the Brighton goalkeeper.
The shadow of the 1983 FA Cup final had loomed large over this semi-final; it was when Gordon Smith simply had to score for Brighton in the final minute of extra time only he did not do so, allowing United to survive and win the replay.
Now Lindelöf, who had enjoyed a fine game in central defence, took his opportunity, smashing his kick home to set up a date against Manchester City in the final.
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Once again at this venue, Brighton were broken, nobody more so than Solly March who had blasted the previous kick high over the crossbar – the only miss of a shoot-out that saw Jadon Sancho, on as a substitute, and Marcus Rashford score for United. Both had missed here for England in the Euro 2020 final shoot-out defeat against Italy. There was redemption for them here amid drama of the most excruciating nature.
March was reduced to tears. The midfielder, a symbol of his club, did not deserve this. None of the Brighton players did after they went toe-to-toe with United throughout a gripping showpiece.
Brighton’s wait for a major trophy will go on but United could celebrate, having kept alive their hopes of a domestic cup double, the Carabao Cup already in the trophy cabinet. Erik ten Hag had been fuming after Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final exit against Sevilla. He and his team are back on track.
It was one of the biggest games in Brighton’s history, only the third time they had reached a major semi-final after 1983 when they beat Sheffield Wednesday and 2019 when they lost to Manchester City, also in this competition. It was difficult for supporters above a certain age not to have 1983 in their thoughts and yet that was then and this was now, everything on the line, the knife-edge tension pulsing.
Roberto De Zerbi’s team really are fascinating to watch. He started with Julio Enciso pushed high alongside Danny Welbeck and yet both attackers were given the licence to drop off – to try to draw United’s centre-halves out. Alexis Mac Allister pressed from central midfield and there were the runs from Pascal Gross at right-back, inside or outside the right winger, March. Lewis Dunk also stepped up from central defence.
It was fast and fluid, and it allowed Brighton to take charge at the outset. They created the spaces and it was they who controlled the ball and the tempo for much of the first half. United wanted to win possession high up and transition quickly but Brighton were well co-ordinated and comfortable in their plan, no sign of nerves. United were reduced to high balls forward, at times, in the first half, which led to nothing.
Ten Hag raged when Casemiro was booked on 36 minutes for going through the back of Mac Allister, taking the ball but leaving something on the man. It was a metaphor for United’s struggle for control up to that point.
Mac Allister had worked David de Gea with an early free-kick and Enciso shot off target; both chances followed darts off the left by the dangerous Kaoru Mitoma, whose battle with Aaron Wan-Bissaka was a classic. Wan-Bissaka played him very well. Bruno Fernandes extended Sanchez in the 15th minute after a Christian Eriksen pass while Dunk blocked another effort from him.
For all of Brighton’s latent threat, it was United who went closest to taking a lead into half-time, following a burst at the very end. Finally, they won a ball in Brighton territory, Casemiro released Fernandes and he dragged wide of the far post – a presentable chance.
Fernandes would win possession again moments later after Dunk’s risky pass, leading to Anthony Martial failing to chip Sánchez from distance and the goalkeeper would save from Eriksen after a Rashford cross ran through to him. Eriksen had sparked the move with a fine ball out left.
Brighton reset for the second half. They got back into their pressing grooves; United were on the back foot again, some of their defending a little desperate. When De Gea had to play out, it was a nervous watch for the club’s fans and not only because of his errors in the Sevilla defeat.
Brighton were able to bring the pressure and they might have led just before the hour. United were indebted to De Gea for doing what he does best – produce brilliant reflex saves. After a corner was half-cleared and Diogo Dalot had blocked from Mitoma, it was Enciso who unloaded, De Gea throwing up a hand to tip over. Brighton’s hopes surged from the corner when Welbeck rose unchallenged only to head off target. The former United player had to score.
Back came United, a swashbuckling Wan-Bissaka run almost teeing up something and Fernandes wasting a free-kick after a piece of Rashford trickery. United began to occupy more advanced areas. The ebb and flow was pulsating before it ebbed again in the closing stages of normal time, fatigue setting in as both managers tweaked with their substitutions. March almost won it for Brighton on 82 minutes only for De Gea to get down and across to keep out his low shot.
Into extra time and it felt as though the size of what was at stake began to sap at minds. Nobody wanted to make the crucial error. The Brighton substitute, Deniz Undav, took a heavy touch in the area that allowed Dalot to challenge while Rashford forced Sánchez into a brilliant save after a United high press had worked.
It was in the balance until the very last. March extended De Gea, Mitoma almost tricked through before lunging into De Gea – he was fortunate not to collect a second yellow card – and March nearly squeezed one in from the byline. For United, Rashford made a move inside the substitute, Joel Veltman, and banged wide of the far post. – Guardian
