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Bernd Leno is Fulham’s shoot-out hero as Manchester United exit FA Cup

Goalkeeper saved penalty shots from Victor Lindelöf and Joshua Zirkee after 120-minute slog

Bernd Leno of Fulham celebrates with team-mates after saving two penalties in their FA Cup fifth round match against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday. Photgraph: Carl Recine/Getty Images
Bernd Leno of Fulham celebrates with team-mates after saving two penalties in their FA Cup fifth round match against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday. Photgraph: Carl Recine/Getty Images
Jamie Jackson
Sun Mar 02 2025 - 20:31
FA Cup: Manchester United 1 (Fernandes 71) Fulham 1 (Bassey 45+1), Fulham win 4-3 on penalties

As this FA Cup fifth-round penalty shoot-out reached its climax, Victor Lindelöf and Joshua Zirkzee were the unfortunate ones whose kicks were saved, ending Manchester United’s FA Cup defence and sending Fulham through.

The shoot-out score was 4-3 to the visitors who, marginally, deserved their passage, though this was a slog through 120 minutes of meagre fare that was no advertisement for the world’s oldest knockout competition.

Two years ago Lindelöf was United’s hero, with his penalty, after semi-final extra time against Brighton, taking Erik ten Hag’s side to the showpiece, which they lost 2-1 to Manchester City.

In 2022-23 the Dutchman had already guided United to the Carabao Cup and followed that with last season’s triumph in this competition. But, if Ruben Amorim is to emulate his predecessor with a trophy in a first campaign, then it will have to be in the Europa League, in which he takes his beleaguered team to Real Sociedad for Thursday’s last-16 opening leg.

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Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno saved Lindelöf’s and Zirkzee’s penalties, and Marco Silva’s side now stand two matches away from a Wembley tilt at a first big piece of silverware.

United were the same old sorry tale: a liability at the back and toothless in the final third.

Fulham had taken the lead in first-half stoppage time when Calvin Bassey headed in from close range after Rodrigo Muniz had flicked on a corner, but Bruno Fernandes equalised with a superb shot from the edge of the area in the 71st minute.

– Guardian