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Re: United.


City Can't Overcome Demons, Lose 2-1
Manchester United defeated rivals Manchester City at the Etihad
By Felix Short
| March 5, 2022, 11:59 PM EST

Thomas Walker has been known for his ability to go toe-to-toe with great coaches, and he did again today (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)
Manchester, England – Manchester City’s nightmare season continued into Saturday’s home match up in the Manchester Derby. The defending champions and preseason favorites for the Premier League title entered Saturday’s game seventh in the league table looking up at a mountain to climb if they even wanted to finish top four. Having been bounced in the group stages of the Champions’ League, any chance at playing in that illustrious tournament next season compelled them to make a move this season. This game, at the Etihad, in front of their home crowd, against the cross-town rivals that embarrassed them 6-0 at Old Trafford in November would have been the perfect opportunity to punctuate their intentions of competing this season. It wasn’t meant to be, as Thomas Walker’s side once again took on the Sky Blues and came away with a victory.
One of the problems for City in that November thrashing was early yellow cards and a 29th minute red card for Kyle Walker, that deprived them of real organization. City fans were given flashbacks immediately when Kevin De Bruyne was given a yellow card in the second minute after a vicious tackle by Scott McTominay. But the yellow cards wouldn’t rain down on City from that moment on, but in much the same way, United took early control of the pace of play and put City on the back heel.
This time, it was a City mistake by goalkeeper Ederson that led to the first goal. With his dribbling prowess, Ederson tried to dribble out of danger, but was being chased by the United high-press. Nearing the sideline and realizing he had no outlet, Ederson tried to punt the ball deep to recover. The play backfired as the punt went to the head of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who headed the ball immediately forward to Scott McTominay. McTominay receiving the ball and looking up at Ederson sprinting back toward his goal, took the shot from near the halfway line. He hit it hard and as long as it was on target it would be a goal, and that’s exactly how it played out with McTominay scoring from 45 yards out while Ederson desperately tried to recover his position. With that, United took a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute and all the ghosts of this miserable season began to haunt this City side.

It wouldn’t take long for United to score again. In the 20th minute, Fred stole the ball from Phil Foden, before launching it forward to Alex Telles who initiated the counterattack. Telles pushed it forward to Cristiano Ronaldo, who dumped it off to Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the pitch before finding new space in front of net. Bruno returned the pass to Ronaldo, who turned and fired, launching it past Ederson to give United a 2-0 lead. Shades of United’s 6-0 November victory were flashing, and United had once again established complete control, looking to pounce on a mentally weakened City side.
It didn’t happen. That second goal jolted the home team into action, and they played to a stalemate for the rest of the first half. Riyad Mahrez found City’s first shot in the 24th minute. Kyle Walker also had a chance on goal in the 44th minute, but both were blocked by David De Gea. Those were separated by a pair of chances for Marcus Rashford in the 29th and 39th minute, each of which were repelled by Ederson.
Having gained some confidence in the last twenty-five minutes, City came out in the second half looking to make a comeback. Having dominated the opening minutes of the second half, the home crowd began to think it was possible in the 53rd minute, when Aaron Wan-Bissaka fouled Bernardo Silva inside the penalty box to give City a golden opportunity to get one back. It would be their star, Kevin De Bruyne, who would take the penalty. This was the moment, with all the pressure of the season, and the entire crowd waiting in anxious anticipation. De Bruyne tried to bury it in the bottom right corner, but David De Gea guessed right and repelled the shot, draining the crowd of its enthusiasm and proving that the nightmare would continue.
Still, City controlled the tempo for much of the first thirty minutes of the second half and Manchester United switched into a defensive formation to try and close out the game. They finally were able to break through in the 77th minute when Phil Foden found Bernardo Silva at the edge of the box, who fired a perfect shot into the top left corner of the net to bring City within one. That would be it for City though, as Manchester United dominated possession in the ten-plus minutes after City scored and they were able to close out the game with a 2-1 road win.
“They took our life,” said Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola, “Every time we tried to do something, they took our life, our soul. There was nothing for us that was safe or easy.”
For his performance defensively as well as his 14th minute goal, Scott McTominay was named man of the match for United’s second straight game. His performance helped United achieve the win that moves the team into second in the league table, tied with Liverpool on 57 points. Manchester City, still sitting with 48 points in 7th place, continue to watch their hopes of a Champions League birth fade away. Their next game will be against Olympique Lyonnais in Frances in the Round of 16 of the Europa League. Both teams will look to advance to the semi-finals of the FA Cup over the weekend with United facing Doncaster Rovers in their next match.
Manchester United: 2
Goal Scorers: Scott McTominay (14'), Cristiano Ronaldo (20')
Assists: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Bruno FernandesManchester City: 1
Goal Scorers: Bernardo Silva (77')
Assists: Phil Foden
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Re: United.



What I'm Hearing: Botha, Iqbal, Savage On Bench For FA Cup Match
Manchester United's Senior Team will welcome three youth midfielders to their match day squad against Doncaster
By Logan Plant / @plantlounited
/ May 7, 2022, 7:30 AM EST

Gatsha Botha, Zidane Iqbal, and Charlie Savage have been a consistent midfield trio for the U-23 squad (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)
What I’m Hearing – I’m hearing that three youngsters will be candidates to make their season debut against Doncaster Rovers in United’s Saturday matchup in the FA Cup Quarterfinals. In addition to Bruno Schmitt, who may start in goal against Doncaster, midfielders Zidane Iqbal, Charlie Savage, and Gatsha Botha will also be in the lineup, likely on the bench.
None of these three players has ever appeared for Manchester United’s senior team. Each would be making their senior team debut.
If these three have anywhere near the success that United’s other teenagers have had this season, they will be very impressive. So far this season, Thomas Walker’s team has introduced Anthony Elanga, Amad, Hannibal Mejbri, Björn Hardley, and Shola Shoretire into the first team with very little friction. All have been effective players for United this season.
With that said, there is a drop off in expectations from those mentioned and the three who may make their debut. Savage, Iqbal and Botha have been solid players for United Under-23 team this year, but Elanga, Mejbri and Amad have all starred for that squad in recent years. Still, it is an exciting moment for the three youngsters and it will be a memorable one if they can make their way into the game.
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United U-18's Advance to FA Youth Cup Final
With today's win, United's will have a chance to win their first FA Youth Cup since 2011
By Logan Plant / @plantlounited
/ March 9, 2022, 5:30 PM EST

Gatsha Botha, Zidane Iqbal, and Charlie Savage have been a consistent midfield trio for the U-23 squad (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)
Old Trafford – Manchester United Under-18 defeated Wolverhampton Under-18 today in the FA Youth Cup semi-final, punching their ticket to the FA Youth Cup Final. The 3-0 victory today was a demonstration of the talent in United’s Under-18 squad. United’s academy has not won this competition since 2011 when a team led by Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard defeated Sheffield United for the cup trophy.
This Under-18 is similarly loaded with future first team talent, and it was on display in a big way in today’s win. Daniel Hanssen opened the scoring today in the 8th minute after he received a pass from Steinar Hansen-Aarøen in the box. Hanssen received the ball, took a step to his right and put the ball into the back of the net.
United scored their second goal of the game off the foot of Godwin Bada, who has been simply dominant at this level since arriving in January. In the 33rd minute, Bada drove the ball past his defender to the edge of the box before firing it top right corner to give United the 2-0 lead.
United’s final goal came off the foot of substitute Charlie McNeill, who sealed the victory in the 71st minute after he finished a cross from Logan Hutchison. The performance was dominant as United U-18 team proved that it had the talent to win the entire FA Youth Cup.
Goalkeeper Dave Howie was also on display today, making three saves against Wolves that kept the clean sheet for United.
United will host the Under-18 team of the Blackburn Rovers on April 30th at Old Trafford in the FA Youth Cup Final.
Starting Lineup:
GK Dave Howie
D Marc Jurado
D Arthur MacKie
D Maximillian Oyedele
D Nikolai Strom
M Isak Hansen-Aarøen
M Godwin Bada
M Steinar Hansen-Aarøen
F Logan Hutchison
F Isaac Walton
CF Daniel Hanssen
Subs:
F Alejandro Garnacho
F Patrick Nicol
CF Charlie McNeill
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What I'm Hearing: Botha, Iqbal, Savage On Bench For FA Cup Match
What I'm Hearing: Schmitt to be Given First Team Chance
What I'm Hearing: Howie, Schmitt, Bada
Confirmed: United Sign Egyptian Youth
What I'm Hearing: Botha, Schmitt, Hanssen
Last edited by toysoldier_00; 05-13-2022, 03:33 PM.Comment
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Re: United.
This is great stuff. I was tempted to go with a Man Utd but then there's a couple here. I may go with Newcastle one. I'm not sure. Don't want to compete with others lol.
Reading though, great graphics. Smart but simple.
Playing: Madden 24, WWE 2K24, Dead By Daylight, Killer KlownsComment
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Re: United.


Youth Blows Out Doncaster in FA Cup
Manchester United advanced to the FA Cup semifinals with a resounding 5-0 win
By Felix Short
| March 12, 2022, 11:59 PM EST

Björn Hardley, Gatsha Botha, and Charlie Savage are three teenagers that got to play in this game (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)
Doncaster, England – Manchester United entered Saturday’s FA Cup showdown as the heavy favorites against the third-tier Doncaster Rovers, despite having to play at Eco Power Stadium in Doncaster. This remained the case despite the youth-heavy lineup that United put out, and the youth displayed its quality in bunches today in a 5-0 victory that will send United to the Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup semifinals. Despite their impressive run, Doncaster Rovers entered today in 13th place in the English Football League One table. For context, United defeated league leaders Portsmouth F.C. 7-1 in a EFL Cup game in September.
“Our guys played well,” said Manchester United manager Thomas Walker, “I think we came out confident and got a few early goals and then we just crushed it from there. We got a lot of young guys an opportunity today and they displayed good qualities and showed themselves well in the red. Some fine young lads played today that you’ll be seeing more of in the years to come.”
The first surprise was that 17-year-old Bruno Schmitt was given the start in goal, despite David De Gea seemingly being healthy and veterans Tom Heaton and Lee Grant being available. We’d heard there was a small possibility that this would happen in recent days, but to see the big teenager actually get the start in a do-or-die game surprised many. In his senior team debut, Schmitt made four saves and kept the clean sheet.

Defensively United were sound, but they also put the pressure on early and began to dent the scoreboard with impunity immediately. In the 8th minute, Nemanja Matić stole a ball from Doncaster midfielder Tommy Rowe. Matić pushed the ball forward to Hannibal Mejbri, who took advantage of Doncaster’s disorganized defense. In put himself in a position to spot Anthony Elanga streaking past the defense, and Mejbri put in a beautiful through ball that Elanga used his speed to catch up to and earn a golden chance on the keeper that he put away.
A similar play happened minutes later, this time with Amad coming up with the steal, passing it forward to Julián Álvarez who raced past the defense and put it into the top right corner of the net for his first United goal. That 16th minute goal was followed up with another in the 25th minute, in which Álvarez converted a penalty kick that Shola Shoretire earned after being tackled in the box by defender Tom Anderson.
United struck again in the 30th minute, this time when Björn Hardley forced the turnover, with the ball finding its way to Anthony Elanga, then Shola Shoretire, then Luke Shaw, who crossed the ball into the box to Hannibal Mejbri, who caught the ball with no defenders around him. Mejbri took two touches to get into position, but with plenty of time, he made the move and hammered the ball past the Doncaster defender to end all hope of a miracle upset.
At halftime, United made all three substitutions, giving three separate players their senior team debut, replacing their whole midfield with teenagers Zidane Iqbal, Gatsha Botha and Charlie Savage. The move didn’t change the nature of the game immediately, and Julián Álvarez had a chance for a hattrick in the 50th minute but couldn’t put the ball on target.
Without the playmaking of Anthony Elanga and Hannibal Mejbri, United settled into a possession style, keeping the ball for most of the second half. The youngsters did get their opportunity to make their mark late in the game when Charlie Savage played a pass into Gatsha Botha in the middle of the box, who took a touch then fired it past the keeper in the 89th minute to push United’s final tally to five.
“That was an amazing moment,” said 18-year-old Gatsha Botha after scoring his first career first team goal, “It was incredible, I’m just so happy right now, I don’t know what to say.”
The man of the match went to new arrival Julián Álvarez, who looked comfortable in a United uniform for the first time since arriving in February. His goal in the sixteenth minute was his first of his United career and following that up with a second moments later could indicate that Álvarez only needed a bit of time to adjust to life in England. If that is the case, United may have uncovered another dynamic attacking threat.
With the win, United will move on to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, in which they will play one of Manchester City, Southampton or Bradford City at Wembley Stadium. Those semi-finals will take place on April 24th. In the meantime, United must prepare for their midweek Champions League showdown with Sporting CP. The two teams drew in Lisbon on February 22nd, and United will be desperate to get the home win to advance in that competition.
Manchester United: 5
Goal Scorers: Anthony Elanga (8'), Julián Alvarez (16'), Julián Alvarez (25'), Hannibal Mejbri (30'), Gatsha Botha (89')
Assists: Hannibal Mejbri, Amad, Luke Shaw, Charlie SavageDoncaster Rovers: 0
Goal Scorers: n/a
Assists: n/a
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Last edited by toysoldier_00; 04-15-2022, 12:34 PM.Comment
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Would love to see you start one. Thank you for the kind words.Comment
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Re: United.

Bradford City, Manchester United in Semi-final
Manchester United will once again face a lower division team in the FA Cup Semi-final
By Felix Short
| March 13, 2022, 7:30 AM EST

Bradford City's Andy Cook has led them on their improbable run (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)
Manchester, England – With yesterday’s 5-0 win over Doncaster, Manchester United advanced to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they once again, were given the easiest draw on paper, continuing a streak of lucky draws that will now see them play four lower division teams in five FA Cup games, leading up to the FA Cup Final.
This time, United will face Bradford City, a fourth-tier team making one of the miracle runs in recent FA Cup history. The team sits in 2nd in the EFL2 and are primed for promotion to the EFL1, but have faced and defeated better competition in this cup run. Bradford City defeated Colchester 3-0 in their opening round game, before winning 3-1 at Hartlepool. They upset English Championship-side Sheffield United in the replay, winning 2-1 away, before getting a matchup with Premier League side Brighton. At home, Bradford City managed to defeat Brighton 3-1.
It was at this stage, in the Round of 16, that every pundit expected Bradford City’s run to end, as they were selected to head to the Emirates to face Arsenal on the road. They squeaked a 2-1 win over the Premier League giants and defeated West Bromwich Albion 4-2 in the quarterfinals to advance to this point. With that home win against West Brom, Bradford City punched their ticket to Wembley stadium for an April 24th matchup with United.
United, to their credit, has eased through this tournament giving the bulk of the minutes to their youngest players. Their run included a close opening round win at St. James’ Park over Newcastle, before controlling matches against lower tiered sides in Newport County, Fulham and Doncaster Rovers. Anthony Martial has been their leading goal scorer in this competition.
Manchester City and Southampton will face-off in the other semi-final, with the final scheduled for May 14th.
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Rumour: United Almost Bought Tchouaméni in January
Manchester United had discussions with AS Monaco over their star midfielder in January
By Logan Plant / @plantlounited
/ May 14, 2022, 5:30 AM EST

Aurélien Tchouaméni made a €61.5 million move to Real Sociedad on January 25th (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)
Rumour – Sources are informing RedDevilUnited that the club almost made a significant splash during the January transfer window by purchasing AS Monaco holding midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni. Manchester United have watched Tchouaméni closely since Thomas Walker identified him as a potential target and were ready to make a move on the French-star this upcoming summer.
Plans changed in January when Tchouaméni expressed an openness to moving in that window, and La Liga’s Real Sociedad made a serious move to acquire the 22-year-old. Real Sociedad agreed to terms with Tchouaméni and AS Monaco on January 25th, moving to the Spanish side immediately.
According to sources, United have been trying to add a high-quality holding midfielder to their roster for years now and considered Tchouaméni as potentially their top target this summer. With an impending move in his future, United decided to pursue the idea of buying Tchouaméni immediately instead or risking him signing a long-term contract with Sociedad.
Those discussions ultimately fizzled out with United being unwilling to disrupt the chemistry midseason and being satisfied that Scott McTominay and Fred could carry United to where they wanted to go for the remainder of the season. Real Sociedad reportedly paid AS Monaco a €61.5 million fee for Tchouaméni and signed the player to a long-term contract.
In the meantime, both Fred and Scott McTominay have shown that they can be quality players at that position in Thomas Walker’s system, meaning finding a new holding midfielder may no longer be as pressing as it once seemed. United seem poised to add a striker option this summer as they are set to lose Edinson Cavani and will likely see Cristiano Ronaldo get less playing time next season.
They also seem to have weaknesses at center-back and full-back and could be looking to upgrade in several other positions before they entertain the idea of adding a big-money holding midfielder to the mix.
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What I'm Hearing: Botha, Iqbal, Savage On Bench For FA Cup Match
What I'm Hearing: Schmitt to be Given First Team Chance
What I'm Hearing: Howie, Schmitt, Bada
Confirmed: United Sign Egyptian Youth
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United Advance in 3-0 Showcase over Sporting
Manchester United will advance to their first UCL Quarterfinals since 2018-2019
By Felix Short
| March 16, 2022, 11:59 PM EST

Manchester United's Back Line Played a Crucial Role in Dominating Possession (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)
Manchester, England – Manchester United and Sporting CP entered tonight’s game even after a late comeback by Sporting saw them earn a home draw. Now, at Old Trafford, the Portuguese giants were aiming to nab a hard-to-come-by away win against Thomas Walker’s side, who has not been playing to its peak potential in recent weeks.
In that first game, United surprised many by starting Hannibal Mejbri and Anthony Elanga instead of established stars Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford. It worked last time as those two combined for an early goal, but Walker would not make the same decision tonight. Pogba and Rashford were in the lineup from the get-go in the loser go home second leg.
Manchester United came out and aggressively and in control, putting their stamp on the game early. They earned their first chance in the 6th minute when Paul Pogba crossed the ball into Marcus Rashford, who missed a header just wide. So, five minutes later Paul Pogba decided to take matters into his own hand, putting United on the board in the eleventh minute. He started the play by making a tremendous pass to Cristiano Ronaldo, who switched the angle of the defense. Ronaldo shot, but the ball was blocked by Sporting keeper Antonio Adán. Fortunately, Pogba’s goodwill came back around as the rebound found its way to the feet of Paul Pogba, who pounded it in for the first goal of the game.

It was an unlucky bounce for Sporting, but nobody could accuse United of not being in control of the game. That was accentuated six minutes later when Paul Pogba found paydirt again. On the counterattack, Bruno Fernandes progressed the ball into a dangerous position in the Sporting defense. Center-back Gonçalo Inácio stepped up to stop Bruno. Bruno just side-stepped Inácio and played the ball in to the vacated space. Paul Pogba was first to the ball, taking an off-balance shot, falling over, but putting it past the keeper to give United a 2-0 lead in the 17th minute.
After that, United went completely into lockdown mode, keeping possession for long stretches of time, forcing Sporting to run around in search of the ball. Sporting finally earned their first chance in the 37th minute of the game, when Matheus Nunes unleashed a shot from deep, but that ball was blocked by Luke Shaw. United kept the ball for 65% possession and drained the first half without much sweat.
At half time, United replaced Anthony Martial with Eric Bailly, giving them a very defensive back-five, and they continued to play keep away for the second half, establishing a very low, tight, impenetrable block. Even this didn’t help Sporting, and the game was put to bed in the 60th minute when Sporting Wingback Rúben Vinagre fouled Bruno Fernandes from 35-yards out. With United in control, Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up with only one thing on his mind: making a highlight. That’s exactly what he did as the ball tailed away from Anderson and into the top right corner. Anderson never had a chance, as Ronaldo put United ahead with a dominating 3-0 lead in the 61st minute.
That goal sealed the deal and United played keep away for much of the second half, with Sporting having few options and less energy. United kept the ball for an astounding 87% of possession in the second half, earning them 76% possession throughout the game, and melting away a game clock that would send United to the Champions League quarterfinals.
“We played well,” said United manager Thomas Walker, “I think we played very well and I think our ability to stifle them in the second half. We knew after we scored early that they would come after us with everything, and we made sure to take that seriously. I was really proud of how our guys handled that in a professional way against some of the best competition in Europe. Despite the score tonight, [Sporting] are a really good team and we handled them and I think that speaks more to our performance than their quality. Very proud tonight.”
For his two-goal performance, Paul Pogba was named man of the match, as his back-to-back early goals allowed United to relax and sit back and let Sporting wear themselves out. It was redemption for Pogba, who has seen his playing time dwindle among contract disputes and the emergence of Hannibal Mejbri. That second factor likely led to his starting on the bench in the first leg, so showing up and playing well tonight was some sort of validation.
With this victory, 5-2 on aggregate, Manchester United will advance to the Champions League quarterfinals. Their opponent in that round will be decided tomorrow, as UEFA will make the draw and announce the next slate of games. In the meantime, they will next be in action in a consequential league game against Liverpool this weekend.
Manchester United: 3
Goal Scorers: Paul Pogba (11'), Paul Pogba (17'), Cristiano Ronaldo (61')
Assists: Bruno FernandesSporting CP: 0
Goal Scorers: n/a
Assists: n/a
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Messi, Ronaldo to Clash Again
Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain will do battle in the Champions League Quarterfinal
By Felix Short
| March 18, 2022, 7:30 AM EST

Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and Lionel Messi Await Manchester United (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)
Manchester, England – Manchester United received news this afternoon that they would be matching up with UCL-favorites Paris Saint-Germain and their three headed attacking monster in the Quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. The first game will be held at the Parc de Princes in Paris on Tuesday, April 5th. The crucial second leg will be held at Old Trafford on Wednesday, April 13th.
Paris Saint-Germain have been the favorites to win this tournament all season, after acquiring Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum and Achraf Hakimi last summer and bolstering that with Franck Kessié during the winter transfer window. Those players paired with the wealth of talent that they already had, including names like Marquinhos, Neymar, Ángel Di María and Kylian Mbappé have made them the betting favorite all season.
Paris Saint-Germain dominated their group in the group stage, going undefeated in a group that features Manchester City, RB Leipzig, and Club Brugge. PSG were forced to dispatch AC Milan in the Round of Sixteen. Now, they will have to face a Manchester United team that has found similar ease gliding to this point in the tournament. United topped a group of Young Boys, Villarreal, and Atalanta before dispatching Sporting CP in the Round of Sixteen.
The interesting note in this game is history that United manager Thomas Walker has with Paris Saint-Germain, including last year, when his LOSC Lille squad earned four points off the Parisian giants en route to winning Ligue Un. Certainly from a managerial perspective, United will have no fear going against a star-studded Mauricio Pochettino side.
The other matchups in the quarterfinalists include Inter Milan, who ouster RB Leipzig, Liverpool, who ousted Barcelona, Villarreal, who defeated Walker’s former club Lille, Bayern Munich, who smashed Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk, Sevilla, who defeated defending champions Chelsea, and Juventus, who banished Erling Haaland and a young Borussia Dortmund squad. The quarterfinal draw is as follows:




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Congratulations to Anthony Martial on his 400th game for club and country! #MUFC
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