Manchester United set up FA Cup final vs Man City after March misses penalty
- Simon Wilkes
- 23 April 2023
The FA Cup final will be a Manchester derby after United won a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw with Brighton at Wembley, where Solly March missed and Victor Lindelof scored the winning spot-kick
Manchester United will face rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final after Solly March's spot-kick miss saw Brighton suffer semi-final shoot-out heartache.
Three days on from their Europa League quarter-final exit to Sevilla, Erik ten Hag's side found themselves in the familiar position of needing to bounce back from a humiliating loss.
Brighton made United sweat as the south coast club sought to reach just their second FA Cup final, with the semi-final ending 0-0 after 120 minutes at Wembley.
The first 12 penalties of the shoot-out found the net before Albion favourite March blazed over, allowing Victor Lindelof to win it 7-6 and set-up a Wembley return against City.
Roberto De Zerbi's exciting side had been bookmakers' favourites in their third FA Cup semi-final appearance and began in the manner onlookers have become accustomed to.
Alexis Mac Allister's early free-kick was saved by David De Gea, with the under-fire United goalkeeper brilliantly tipping over a Julio Enciso attempt after half-time.
United settled and the match went to extra-time, which also ended goalless meaning the semi-final went to spot-kicks under the arch.
March's miss was the key moment, with Lindelof striking brilliantly in sudden death as the Carabao Cup winners progressed to a record-equalling 21st FA Cup final.
Brighton began on the front foot at Wembley, where Mac Allister hit a brilliant sixth-minute free-kick that De Gea did well to stop nestling in the top right-hand corner.
Enciso struck wide before Kaoru Mitoma and Pervis Estupinan got in each other's way as Albion continued in the ascendancy with only fleeting flickers of life from United.
Bruno Fernandes, sorely missed against Sevilla, forced Robert Sanchez into action from 20 yards and was soon the subject of nervous conversation after pulling up in pain. The patched-up Portuguese was given the green light to carry on.
Enciso fired wide for Brighton but it was United who ended the half on top, with Fernandes dragging a shot across the face of goal.
Two further chances followed in stoppage time. Anthony Martial overhit an attempt to catch out Sanchez and Eriksen fired straight at the keeper from a Rashford cross.
Brighton returned from the break strongly, prodding and probing before De Gea denied them a 56th-minute goal.
Adam Webster and Mitoma were denied in quick succession before the ball fell to Enciso to fizz an effort that the United goalkeeper expertly tipped over.
Ex-United striker Danny Welbeck went close with a header from the resulting corner and De Gea was soon called upon to stop a March cross-shot.
United belatedly gained a measure of control and composure, with Sanchez denying Antony before Fernandes fired a free-kick at the wall from a dangerous position.
De Gea got down to push away a low March shot and substitute Jadon Sancho saw a curling effort deflected behind.
When extra time got under way, Brighton substitute Deniz Undav was guilty of a heavy touch at the end of a fine move before Marcel Sabitzer glanced wide and fellow substitute Fred caused problems.
First the Brazil midfielder sent over a dangerous cross that nobody met, before cutting out the ball as Rashford ended up getting away a strike that took a deflection off Webster and was saved superbly by Sanchez.
The second period also ended goalless. March saw a shot stopped and Rashford lashed across the face of goal, with Brighton just unable to squeeze home a late chance that ended with Mitoma leaving De Gea in a heap.
The final whistle saw attention turn to penalties, with each player finding the net in the first five rounds.
Sancho and Rashford showed character to score at the stadium where they missed spot-kicks in England's Euro 2020 final loss to Italy, with Sanchez getting a hand on Marcel Sabitzer's fifth attempt for United.
Webster and Wout Weghorst scored the first goals of sudden death, only for March to miss in front of the Brighton end and Lindelof to score the decider.
United goalkeeper David de Gea said on BBC One: "It was a very tight game. We played against a really good team.
"We had prepared for penalties as always, I tried to put pressure on the takers. We took perfect penalties.
"We are in another final, but we have another big game on Thursday (at Tottenham), so now we have to go home for recovery and prepare again.
"There is still a long way to go to the final. I am sure it is going to be a big game against one of the best teams in Europe, but we have shown already that we can beat them.
"We already have one trophy, are in another final and going for the top four. Of course that is not enough, but it is a great step from last season. We keep improving. We have big games coming and have to be ready."
