Amad seals FA Cup classic in extra-time

Amad Diallo's 121st-minute goal booked Manchester United's FA Cup semi-final spot after a pulsating, exhausting clash at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag and his team needed this win to keep a trophy dream alive and the Red Devils played like that early on in the game, taking a lead in the 10th minute.

Marcus Rashford fed Alejandro Garnacho and the winger was in a great shooting position with Caoimhín Kelleher being forced into a save. But that stop only went as far as Scott McTominay who was in the right place to follow up and put the ball in.

The visitors grew into the game making it an end-to-end thriller. Kelleher needed to make another stop to deny McTominay from close range after excellent play by Kobbie Mainoo to ghost past a couple of Liverpool players. Seconds later, it was André Onana who was needed to stop Luis Díaz at the near post.

Jürgen Klopp's side went from 1-0 down to 2-1 up just before halftime with goals in quick succession.

The first came from Alexis Mac Allister whose deflected effort found the corner of the net after good build-up from Liverpool, in particular from Jarell Quansah.

Then minutes later Mohamed Salah found the net against United, as he so often does, with the home side punished for their poor defending and losing the ball in their own half.

Those two goals seemed to give the visitors confidence and for much of the second period they were the better team. Klopp will have been furious with his team's wastefulness and inability to profit off of counterattacks – even when Liverpool were breaking with five forwards against two United defenders.

Ten Hag had to throw everything at it with the manager sending on attackers and one of those substitutes scored the goal that took it into time.

United broke forward with Antony driving forward, laying off to Garnacho. The ball came back to Antony in the box and the Brazilian did well to spin away from the defenders and roll the ball into the net to take the game to extra-time.

Extra-Time

@Getty /

United suddenly looked full of confidence with Victor Lindelöf firing an effort into the side netting that some in the ground thought went in.

But Liverpool went ahead again with their third of the game when substitute Harvey Elliott found himself on the edge of the United area. The midfielder took a shot that deflected off Christian Eriksen, wrong-footing Onana and finding the net.

Again, Ten Hag gambled for the second period of extra-time. United finished the game with a back four of Antony, Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, and Diogo Dalot with Mason Mount making his first appearance of 2024.

Fatigue was an issue for both teams and perhaps it was mental tiredness that led to Darwin Núñez giving the ball away inside his own half. McTominay was happy to accept the gift and pass forward for Rashford to equalise in the 112th minute.

This was an incredible, dramatic game that had one more twist left in it. Liverpool had a corner in the 120th minute that United cleared with Amad Diallo breaking on the edge of his own area.

Amad played in Garnacho whose return pass left a lot for the Ivory Coast international to do but he managed to keep his cool and guide the ball into the corner past the gloves of Kelleher.

Cue mad celebrations in Old Trafford and Amad receiving his second yellow card for taking off his shirt during the celebration.

That remarkable late win sends Manchester United into the semi-final at Wembley against Coventry City with the winner of that taking on Manchester City or Chelsea in the final.