KOMPAS.com - Manchester United akan tampil pada babak perempat final atau delapan besar Piala FA menghadapi Brighton & Hove Albion, Minggu (18/3/2018) dini hari WIB di Stadion Old Trafford, Manchester.
Bermain di kandang sendiri, Manchester United jelas menjadi unggulan untuk bisa lolos ke semifinal.
Pada pertemuan di Liga Inggris musim ini, Man United sudah pernah mengalahkan Brighton 1-0, 25 November 2017.
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Perjalanan Setan Merah sejauh ini di Piala FA juga mulus. Mereka selalu mengalahkan lawan tanpa menderita gol.
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Berturut-turut Manchester United menyingkirkan Derby County 2-0 (5/1/2018), Yeovil Town 4-0 (26/1/2018), dan Huddersfield Town 2-0 (17/2/2018) di tiga babak sebelumnya.
Namun, awas, perempat final Piala FA kerap menghadirkan tragedi buat Manchester United.
Dalam 10 tahun terakhir, The Red Devils tercatat empat kali tersingkir di babak delapan besar.
Pada 2007-2008, Manchester United kalah 0-1 dari Portsmouth di kandang sendiri.
Berlanjut ke musim 2012-2013, United disingkirkan Chelsea.
Setelah bermain 2-2 di kandang sendiri (10/3/2013), Setan Merah kalah 0-1 di Stamford Bridge pada pertandingan ulang (1/4/2013).
Pada musim 2014-2015, giliran Arsenal yang menyingkirkan Man United.
The Gunners menang 2-1 kendati pertandingan digelar di Old Trafford, 9 Maret 2015.
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Musim lalu sekali lagi Manchester United tersingkir di babak delapan besar Piala FA.
Mereka dikalahkan Chelsea 0-1 di Stamford Bridge, 13 Maret 2017.
Berbekal fakta sejarah itu, Man United wajib mewaspadai pertemuan kontra Brighton & Hove Albion pada Minggu dini hari nanti.
Terlebih lagi, Piala FA adalah ajang terakhir dengan Man United masih memiliki peluang meraih trofi musim ini.
Manchester United sudah gagal di Piala Super Eropa, Piala Liga Inggris, dan Liga Champions, serta berpeluang tipis untuk mencegah Manchester City menjuarai Premier League. (Dwi Widijatmiko)
Manchester United progressed to the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday night.
A headed goal in each half — the first from Romelu Lukaku and then another by Nemanja Matic — saw the Red Devils see off a plucky Brighton side.
United were far from at their best but they got the job done. Revisit how they scraped through with Sportsmail's blow-by-blow updates.
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First came the Champions League defeat to Sevilla that stung Jose Mourinho and then came the passionate defence of his achievements that it provoked, but this was not the sort of victory that was ever going to do anything to improve his mood.
Having kept his facial expressions hidden on the touchline during the game with a snood that covered half his face, as United made tough work of knocking Brighton out of the FA Cup, Mourinho did not try to mask his thoughts after it.
Even after his name had been sung by United supporters throughout, Mourinho went on the attack, criticising the quality of the performance, as well as the mentality of his players.
He knows he is taking a risk doing so, calling out players in public always takes you on to uncertain ground, but the Portuguese seems determined to challenge them. He is testing them, probing for a response, poking and prodding egos, watching for the reaction.
This was another insipid, timid display. They may be in the semi-final, their third in less than two years under him, but United will not win either that or the final playing like this. So, Mourinho did not mince his words.
