Manchester, February 5 (BNA): Manchester United were knocked out early and embarrassingly from the FA Cup after losing to the second-tier team Middlesbrough on penalties at Old Trafford on Friday.
Round four got off to a spectacular start when the Premier League giants saw their last realistic title hopes this season dashed by Chris Wilder’s Championship side.
Jadon Sancho opened the scoring for star-studded Ralph Rangnick, but Matt Crooks, a lifelong United fan, tied the score and the match ended 1-1 after extra time.
Every penalty netted until Anthony Elanga missed his Stretford End goal, and Burrow sealed 8-7 with the penalty kick and dispatched 9,500 visiting fans, The Associated Press reported.
Few would have seen the match so close given the way United started.
Sancho hit the crossbar within 80 seconds of the first half from one side as he would have led the hosts forward with a minor defection from Isiah Jones shortly after Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty miss.
Burrow looked limited but the host’s extravagance took a toll on him, and Duncan Watmore slashed past his former United Crooks teammate to score against the roaring Teessiders.
Most of those on the field expected the goal to be disallowed due to Watmore’s handball during preparation, but it appears that the referee and VAR considered it accidental.
Fernandez inexplicably managed to hit one of the post with a goal at his mercy and the match went to extra time and then the penalty shootout as Ilanga hit the crossbar after 15 goals in a row.