Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has challenged Manchester United to compete on three fronts after they on Thursday moved into the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 3-0 win at Wayne Rooney’s Derby County.
Solskjaer’s side were never in danger of a shock fifth-round exit against the second-tier Rams as Luke Shaw’s opener and Odion Ighalo’s double booked a quarter-final trip to Norwich City.
Rooney, United’s record goal-scorer, is back in English soccer after moving to Derby from DC United in January and he was twice denied by Sergio Romero in his first meeting with his old club since 2018.
Photo: EPA-EFE
However, United were always on top and extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to nine games ahead of tomorrow’s derby showdown with Manchester City at Old Trafford.
They remain in the hunt for the FA Cup, the UEFA Europa League and still have a chance of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League via the Premier League, where they are fifth, three points behind Chelsea.
Solskjaer has urged his players to keep their foot on the gas as they look to turn a troubled season into a memorable finale.
“Today was the highest priority, because we’re not going to pick and choose games or competitions. We have to go for everything, that’s what it is to be at Manchester United,” Solskjaer said.
“It’s another away draw, we’re used to that now. Is it a seventh in a row? We’ll have to do it the hard way if want to go all the way. We’ve got a chance now,” he said.
“I’m very pleased with the performance and to go through. You never know, away from home, being the favorites and having City on Sunday how it’ll affect their mindset, but it was professional,” Solskjaer said.
“We’ve found form and defended well, we’ve had seven clean sheets in those nine games,” he added.
United are chasing a record-equaling 13th FA Cup triumph.
They took control at Pride Park after 33 minutes, when Shaw scored just his second career goal, a volley that bounced over Kelle Roos via a deflection off Jesse Lingard.
Nigerian striker Ighalo, signed on loan from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua in January, got the second goal seven minutes later.
Martyn Waghorn went close for Derby after the break, but Ighalo ended the contest when he fired home to complete his double with 20 minutes left.
“He’s doing what he says on the tin and what we asked for when we signed him. I’m very happy with him. That type of striker is vital for a team,” Solskjaer said of Ighalo. “There’s more to come. He’ll improve and get sharper and more used to us. I’ve got no doubt he’ll only get better.”
Former England star Rooney, who left United to rejoin Everton in 2017, almost grabbed a consolation, but Romero produced an excellent stop to turn his late free-kick over.
Rams boss Phillip Cocu said: “If the first free-kick goes in, sometimes it defines a game.”
“You have to be really effective and on that side they were much better than we were,” he said. “I’m quite satisfied with the performance.”
COUPE DE FRANCE
Ryad Boudebouz on Thursday struck a stoppage-time winner as AS Saint-Etienne defeated Coupe de France holders Stade Rennais 2-1 to qualify for the final for the first time in 38 years.
Saint-Etienne are to take on record 12-time winners Paris Saint-Germain in the final at the Stade de France on April 25. Saint-Etienne won the last of their six Coupe de France titles in 1977.
Mbaye Niang blasted home from the spot to give Rennes, who beat PSG on penalties in last year’s final, the lead on 33 minutes at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Timothee Kolodziejczak headed in an equalizer from a Lois Diony cross as Saint-Etienne hit back moments before halftime.
Saint-Etienne are languishing two points above the relegation zone in Ligue 1, but the hosts upped the pressure in the closing stages and substitute Boudebouz drilled in from the edge of the area to earn Claude Puel’s side a last-gasp victory.
COPA DEL REY
A goal nine minutes from time by defender Yuri Berchiche on Thursday lifted Athletic Bilbao to victory over Granada on away goals and into an all-Basque Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad.
Athletic had led 1-0 from the first leg of the semi-final, but fellow La Liga side Granada leveled the tie on the night through Carlos Fernandez in the 48th minute with a fine header from a cross by Venezuelan Darwin Machis.
Granada, in their first semi-final since 1969, then took a 2-1 overall lead thanks to a goal from German Sanchez after 76 minutes, again with Machis the provider from a corner.
However, their hopes of making the final were dashed when leftback Berchiche scored with a low drive in the 81st minute after being set up by Mikel Vesga to secure his team a spot in the April 18 finale in Seville, Spain.
With 23 titles, Athletic Bilbao are second on the all-time list of Copa del Rey winners behind Barcelona, who have triumphed 30 times.
Real Sociedad on Wednesday ended the hopes of second-division CD Mirandes with a 1-0 win that moved them into the final for the first time in 32 years.
Sociedad had already won the first leg 2-1 and they cemented their spot in the final when striker Mikel Oyarzabal scored a 41st-minute penalty after a handball in the area by a Mirandes player.
Mirandes were attempting to become the first second-division club to reach the final since 1980.
Real Sociedad, who were Copa del Rey winners in 1909 and 1987, and knocked out Real Madrid 4-3 in this season’s quarter-finals, are to play their first final since 1988, when they lost 1-0 to Barcelona.
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