Casemiro scored at the stroke of regulation time as Manchester United scraped pass Nottingham Forest at City Ground in FA Cup 5th-round clash.
The Brazil international, linked to a summer exit from Manchester United, scored his third goal for the Red Devils this season in the crucial tie against the Tricky Trees.
United went into the game against the backdrop of ma shock home defeat to Fulham in the Premier League – a loss which pegged back the team from their seven-match unbeaten run in 2024.
United manager Erik ten Hag needed nothing less from victory against Nottingham Forest to retain the club’s silverware hopes this season having crashed out of the Champions League, EFL Cup, and ruled out of the Premier League title race.
It was near-deadlock at City Ground as United struggled to surmount a solid defensive and attacking performance by the reinvigorated Forest side under the tutelage of new manager Nuno Espirito Santos.
Nottingham Forest were a tough nut to crack despite struggling to match Man United’s spirited performance from the start. A solid defensive display coupled with rapid counter breaks kept Manchester United at bare.
However, the Red Devils were more dominant with 61% of ball possession, 20 attempts, and 7 on target.
Despite committing more bodies to the low block, Nottingham Forest still maintained a good attacking threat when charging upfield. They recorded 16 attempts with 5 on target.
The tricky tie ended barren at the break as both sides failed to break the goal deadlock despite a slew of some clearcut chances.
There were limited chances in the second half with United still dominating proceedings. It almost ended barren at full time before Casemiro steered home Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick to score the only goal of the game.
Casemiro’s goal was enough to secure a slim 1-0 win for the Red Devils who scraped pass the hard-fighting Forest side to reach their 48th FA Cup quarterfinals.
Video Highlights
