Carabao Cup to Manchester United. Karius is not enough for Newcastle

This time Marcus Rashford failed to sign the scoresheet. However, his star also lights up the Wembley lawn, where Manchester United returns to lift a trophy six years after the last time. The Red Devils win the Carabao Cup final 2-0 against Newcastle and in both goals there is a hand of the English 10. In the half hour he conquered the free kick from which Casemiro’s 1-0 was born, shortly after he provoked Botman’s own goal which put the match downhill for United.

NEWCASTLE HALF HOUR

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Compared to Thursday’s match against Barcelona, ​​Erik Ten Hag only changes the right lane: outside Wan-Bissaka and Sancho, inside Dalot and Antony. For the first 30′, the choice raises some doubts. Newcastle dribbled and insisted on the other lane, but when the ball arrived from around Saint-Maximin there was none for anyone: Dalot was unable to keep up with him, the scoring doubles didn’t work, De Gea was forced to make a big save to keep a clean sheet.

ONE-TWO UNITED

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In the 31st minute Guimaraes’ ingenuity costs the Bianconeri dearly. The Brazilian lands Rashford, Shaw takes the free-kick and invents a textbook cross: Casemiro emerges between the goalkeeper and defenders, who strikes with his head and carries United ahead. Six minutes go by and the 2-0 is served. Again Rashford goes to Weghorst who returns the ball deep, the Englishman surpasses Karius with the decisive deflection of Botman. For the 25-year-old it is yet another protagonist match in 2023 (already 12 goals in the new year) and, above all, in the Carabao Cup: the statistics tell of five goals and two assists in six games.

THE RECOVERY

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In the end of the first half, Weghorst nearly scored and Karius denied him by performing a miracle. The 2-0 at halftime is mocking for Newcastle, far more dangerous than United but less cold (and lucky) in the final meters. Back on the pitch the Magpies try to overturn it in every way: in the 46th minute Isak takes the place of Longstaff and the dribble becomes more and more insistent, however the bianconeri are unbalanced forward and open the doors wide to the Red Devils’ counter-attacks. Rashford is a train but is often served badly, Wan-Bissaka is walled up by opposing defenders, in the end United collect more chances while Newcastle push without scaring De Gea. In added time Ten Hag also put in captain Maguire and closed in his own half, in the 93rd minute Karius prevented Bruno Fernandes from stamping the 3-0. At the triple whistle Rashford & Co are still ahead and win the Carabao Cup for the sixth time in history. The last one was in 2016, with Mourinho on the bench and Ibra as a centre-forward, awarded as man of the match in the final.