Our site uses cookies to deliver a better experience. Please click accept to agree with the use of all cookies. You can change the cookie settings here.
And that's that. United squeeze through by the skin of their teeth - Southampton threw everything they had at the United goal, but a combination of poor finishing (HOW DID ROMEU MISS THAT CHANCE) and some hardy backs-to-the-wall defending meant that Lukaku's first half-goal was the decisive one.
Many thanks for reading! Anirudh Menon signing out...
93' Herrera punts it forward but Lukaku is brushed off the ball rather surprisingly by Hoedt... Southampton counter at pace and it's yet another corner.
89' What a fantastic ball in from James Ward-Prowse and an equally brilliant header out from Jones! Smalling, though, smashed into him and the hurt Englishman takes the opportunity to ease the sting out of the game.
88' Tadic does ever so well to irritate the living daylights out of Matic and Herrera and he forces the Serb to bundle it over - yellow for the ex-Chelsea man.
87' United haven't touched the ball with any measure of seriousness this half... Saints step up the pressure but Lemina's ball out to Ward-Prowse is loose.
84' Ward-Prowse sends in a ball that's simply too deep for anyone but United just can't get away from their own area... Jones goes down comically under pressure from Redmond - as he intercepts a pass to the Saints man, and he wins a freekick that brings a great deal of relief to the men in black
81' Once again Fellaini does simply superbly to intercept and clear the ball to Lukaku who runs at four Saints defenders - and ignores Fellaini's great run on the outside... he gets dispossessed and Lukaku gives away a cheap foul. Earns himself a yellow, too
79' OH HERRERA! OH HERRERA! Lukaku does simply superbly to skip past two Saints defenders before laying the ball off to Herrera who's as free as a wild bird inside the Saints box.... from there, he pulls off a horrible shank of a finish that flies high and wide
78' OH MY LORD! ORIEL ROMEU!!!! SHANE LONG!!! The Spaniard rips past Herrera and sends a pass/shot at the far corner where inexplicably doesn't make an attempt to get to it!
76' Southampton are hogging the ball like they are Barcelona at the Camp Nou toying with Cultural Leonesa; untill Fellaini does ever so well to win a freekick off Tadic.
72' Cedric sends the ball into the box twice - but the second time De Gea plucks it out of thin air. United simply can't get the ball at their feet! Southampton goes for the kill as Pellegrino throws on Gabbiadini for Davis
72' OH MY! OH MY! SOUTHAMPTON ARE REALLY PUTTING THE SQUEEZE ON! Tadic receives the ball in the box but is crowded out just as he gets ready to pull the trigger.
71' Fellaini does ever so well to hold on to the ball in the Southampton half as he relieves pressure on his defence... but then he ends up giving away a foul after pressure from Romeu.
69' More intricate passing pushes United deeper and deeper... this allows Redmond to find some space from twenty-five yards out but his turn and shot is rather weak. No problem for De Gea.
68' United are being backed up against the ropes here... Redmond runs at Mkhitaryan and Valencia and beats them both but he can't get the better of Fellaini!
67' Southampton are not to be held back, though.... and they win a corner... OH! MY! CHANCE!! The corner is sent in deep and Romeu sends it goalward but Fellaini does ever so well to head the ball away off the goalline.
66' OH! CHANCE! LUKAKU! Another United counter leaves the away side 3 v 3 and Mkhitaryan plays in Lukaku - who takes on the shot from a narrow-angle but Foster saves with his legs.
64' Herrera plays a weird-looking pass that trundles along perfectly to Lukaku's feet and the Belgian holds of Yoshida before feeding Mkhitaryan.. the Armenian attempts an ambitious shot that merely bounces off Hoedt and into Foster's relieved arms.
63' The ball is worked around with intent before Davis sends one into the stands... Mourinho reads the danger of his midfield getting overrun and brings on Ander Herrera for Juan Mata
62' OH MY! WHAT A BALL CEDRIC! Tadic and his right back combine superbly to cut open United down their left channel, Young woefully exposed - but his ball into the box just misses a diving Shane Long!
59' A superb passing move from the home side allows Cedric to float in behind Young but Rashford does well to keep track of his run, and it's just another corner... from which nothing of note materialises.
58' United haven't come to grips with this half quite yet and Southampton are dominating possession - and are pinging the ball hither and htither with pleasing ease.
57' Redmond skips away from Rashford with absurd ease and motors into the box before arrowing a shot at the near post from a narrow angle - that's not beating De Gea
55' OOO! A loose pass from Cedric there and Mata tries to dribble his way through Hoedt and Yoshida but the two have too much muscle for the little Spanish magician.
54' AH! Pep Guardiola would have had tears seeing that... some lovely one-touch passing from United in their own half sees them work their way out of trouble... and Mkhitaryan does well to win a foul
53' Southampton's passing momentum is stopped in its tracks by a crunching Matic tackle - and Lukaku winning a smart foul - but the Saints regain possession soon enough with a crunching tackle of their own via Oriel Romeu
51' OH ROMEU! HOW DID HE MISS THAT! The corner pinballs around the six-yard area before falling to Romeu - all alone four yards from goal - and the Spaniard goes onto smash that a good five yards wide off goal! HORRENDOUS MISS!
50' OH! Another incredibly simple long punt forward finds Tadic in space in the box and Jones has to come steaming in with a lovely tackle that makes sure it's just a corner...
49' Redmond shakes off Valencia and plays in a high ball that is nicked off Long's forehead by Bailly.... Rashford counterattacks with extreme prejudice and tries to play in Lukaku... but the Belgian gets penalised for a slight push on Hoedt
48' It's a good corner first time around but United scrap it away for another.. the second one is not great from Davis but Saints keep ahold of the ball and start a slow strangulation of United's box
47' Yoshida plays in a simple ball in behind Young - who's lack of defensive nous is getting woefully exposed here - and Tadic does well to win the corner.
And that's that. United squeeze through by the skin of their teeth - Southampton threw everything they had at the United goal, but a combination of poor finishing (HOW DID ROMEU MISS THAT CHANCE) and some hardy backs-to-the-wall defending meant that Lukaku's first half-goal was the decisive one.
Many thanks for reading! Anirudh Menon signing out...
Toodle-ooo!