Manchester United Survive Scare to Reach FA Cup Final After Dramatic Penalty Shootout

Manchester United booked their place in the FA Cup final on Sunday, but they were made to sweat for it after a stunning comeback by Championship side Coventry City at Wembley Stadium. United were cruising at 3-0 thanks to goals from Scott McTominay, Harry Maguire, and Bruno Fernandes, but Coventry roared back in the final 20 minutes to force penalties with strikes from Ellis Simms, Callum O’Hare, and a stoppage-time penalty converted by Haji Wright.

United in Control, Then Coventry Chaos

The Red Devils dominated the opening stages, with McTominay heading home from a corner in the 12th minute. Maguire doubled their lead on the half-hour mark with a powerful header, and Fernandes added a third just before the break to seemingly put the game to bed.

However, the second half was a completely different story. Coventry emerged with renewed purpose, and Simms pulled one back on 71 minutes after ghosting in unmarked at the far post. O’Hare then grabbed a fortuitous second with a deflected shot that looped over David de Gea.

Drama at the Death

With the scores level and extra time looming, Coventry thought they had snatched a dramatic winner when substitute Victor Torp bundled the ball home. However, VAR intervened for offside, sending United fans into a state of relief.

The tension continued in extra time, with both sides hitting the woodwork. United’s nerves were jangling further when Casemiro missed their first penalty in the shootout. But Coventry missed two of their own, and substitute Rasmus Hojlund coolly slotted home the winning penalty to send United through.

All-Manchester Final Awaits

Erik ten Hag’s side will now face local rivals Manchester City in a repeat of last year’s FA Cup final on May 25th. It promises to be another epic encounter between the two Manchester giants.

Coventry’s Heroics Despite Defeat

While United will be celebrating their progress, Coventry can take immense pride in their performance. The Championship side displayed incredible fighting spirit to come back from a seemingly impossible position and push the Premier League giants all the way. Their performance will be remembered as one of the greatest FA Cup semi-final comebacks, even though it ultimately ended in defeat.

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