The Premier League title may be out of reach for Manchester United, but a treble remains a real possibility when they take on Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-final.
A 1-0 win against Real Betis in United’s last outing saw Erik ten Hag’s side reach the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday night, drawing against Sevilla in the quarter-finals. After his Carabao Cup success, victory against Fulham on Sunday would send United into the FA Cup semi-finals and put Ten Hag in an excellent position to win one or two more trophies this season.
United have faced Fulham once already this season, with Alejandro Garnacho scoring a 93rd-minute winner to secure a 2-1 victory, but the Argentine will not be available this time. Anthony Martial and Antony could make the squad on Sunday, while Casemiro is suspended after receiving a red card against Southampton in United’s last Premier League game.
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So can United continue their good form in the FA Cup? We simulated the game to find out.
Manchester United vs Fulham simulated
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict United could settle into a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: DeGea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; Fred, Sabitzer; Fernandez; Sancho, Weghorst, Rashford.
We predict that the visitors could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their lineup as follows: Rodak; Cedric, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Lukic, Palhinha; Wilson, Pereira, Solomon; Mitrovic.
United got off to a difficult start at Old Trafford as Fulham caused trouble down the left, and they found the opening goal after 28 minutes when former United player Andreas Pereira fired a long-range shot into the top corner of the net. After not reacting in the first half, United started up in the second and, after a period of pressure, Ten Hag’s men leveled the score.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka spotted Jadon Sancho’s run behind the Fulham back line, and the defender picked out the winger with a wonderful chipping pass to send Sancho on target. As a defender approached, the Englishman did well to flick past his marker and send a shot towards goal, finding the far corner to make it 1-1.
Bruno Fernandes hit the post with a free kick from 25 yards as United continued to press for the lead, but a mix of good goalkeeping and misfortune left the hosts frustrated. Fred and Marcel Sabizter impressed in midfield, with the latter managing to score the winner in the 86th minute to send United through to the semi-finals.
An inattentive moment in the Fulham box saw Marcus Rashford, Facundo Pellestri and Fernandes take shots and miss, with the latter’s shot bouncing off the defender and Sabitzer’s feet. The midfielder rolled the ball to the left of him before firing a powerful shot into the corner to confirm the win.
FIFA 23 Final Result: Manchester United 2-1 Fulham
FIFA 23 predicts that United could pick up another big cup win, beating Fulham 2-1 in the simulation. Ten Hag’s side came from behind to win, with Jadon Sancho and Marcel Sabitzer building on their starts with impressive performances and goals.
What do you think the score will be on Sunday? Tell us in the comments!
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