Man Utd beat Man City 2-1 to win their first FA Cup championship after 8 years of waiting.
During the first period of the final, the two clubs played at a rather slow pace. Man City shows caution by regularly backing all their troops back to their home field every time their opponent has the ball.

At 8 minutes, MU had the first chance. Garnacho takes a shot after a pass from Bruno Fernandes. The ball went wide but could not cause difficulty for Stefan Ortega.

Halfway through the first half, Man City still played at a rather slow pace. Pep Guardiola’s army held the ball 70% but did not have a single shot on target. De Bruyne and Rodri are trying to create opportunities for Haaland from high kicks into the restricted area. The Norwegian striker had no space to finish when closely followed by Raphael Varane.

In a balanced match, MU suddenly opened the score after a mistake by Man City’s defense. In the 30th minute, Josko Gvardiol and Stefan Ortega played incomprehensibly, allowing Alejandro Garnacho to comfortably score into an empty net, opening the score in the FA Cup final.

After conceding, Man City pushed their squad higher. In the 38th minute, Ortega’s net vibrated for the second time, after Rashford’s close-range cushion. However, the goal was not recognized due to Garnacho’s offside error. On the touchline, Pep Guardiola was angry with the defense’s lack of concentration, especially Gvardiol’s positioning.

MU fans do not have to regret for long. Just 1 minute later, the “Red Devils” had their second goal, after an impressive attack. Starting from Rashford’s long pass, the ball passed through Garnacho and Bruno’s feet one after another and was put into the net after a neat lay-up by Kobbie Mainoo.

Right at the beginning of the second half, Man City pressed forward and put great pressure on Man Utd’s defense. In the 55th minute, the first good opportunity came to the Premier League champions. Haaland’s shot attempt beat Onana, but the ball found the bar.

In the 60th minute, Onana had to show off her talent for the first time. Kyle Walker takes a strong shot from outside the penalty area. The ball went into the far corner but was not difficult enough to beat Onana. 4 minutes later, space opened up in front of Julian Alvarez. The Argentinian striker disappointed coach Pep Guardiola with his left foot and the ball went out.

Man City’s effort to put pressure paid off with a goal to shorten the score to 1-2 in the 87th minute. Doku dribbled the ball from the left wing, before firing a strong shot. Onana touched the ball but still could not save Man Utd.

Doku’s late effort was not enough to help Man City turn the situation around. The final match ended with a 2-1 victory for Man Utd. England’s oldest trophy will return to Old Trafford after 8 years of waiting.

The FA Cup championship also gave Man Utd a ticket to the Europa League, even though they only ranked 8th in the Premier League. Accordingly, Chelsea will be pushed down to the Conference League, while Newcastle will not be able to participate in the European Cup.

In the second rematch of their city rival, MU took the field with a striker-less formation. Bruno Fernandes is completely freed from defensive duties to play as a virtual striker. Behind him is Scott McTominay, a player with quite good positional ability.

Casemiro was not in good form so he had to make way for Sofyan Amrabat. Moroccan midfielder and Raphael Varane will play his best in his final appearance for Man Utd. Standing alongside Varane is Lisandro Martinez. This is also MU’s best center-back pair at the moment.

On the other side of the front line, Man City has almost the strongest squad, except for Ederson’s goalkeeper position. Stefan Ortega, the number 2 goalkeeper of the Premier League champions, is also in “not average” form.

In the 2022/23 FA Cup final, MU lost 2-1. Both goals were scored by long-range shots from Ilkay Gundogan. The German midfielder has now left. Man Utd’s goalkeeper is no longer De Gea. Fans look forward to the most exciting confrontation, when both clubs devote all their energy and concentration with the goal of bringing home the oldest trophy in England.