Ilkay Gundogan’s volley goal in the opening minute, which left David De Gea alone, surprised our local rivals at Wembley Stadium. After Jack Grealish’s handball, the Reds regained control of the game, and when the referee indicated to the spot, Bruno Fernandes sent Ortega the wrong way to tie the score.
Five minutes after the break, Gundogan was on target to give City the lead again with a volley into the bottom corner from Kevin de Bruyne’s free-kick that was quite similar to his first goal.
The first-ever all-Manchester FA Cup final got off to a fast start, but not in United’s benefit. To the surprise of everyone present at Wembley Stadium, City captain Gundogan volleyed his team in front after only 13 seconds.
Ortega, the custodian for the Blues, sent the ball forward, and after a series of headers, his compatriot from Germany received it on the edge of the box. The midfielder immediately hit a volley as it dropped, sending it soaring past a stuck De Gea who could only watch it rattle his goal.
A few minutes later, Rodri’s goal-bound header rattled the side netting just as Guardiola’s team appeared to have doubled their lead and given the game an emphatic start.
As the half-hour mark drew near, both teams had chances to score, with Rashford’s exquisite touch on a Casemiro cross falling wide in the first instance. De Bruyne received the ball for the second and dragged a shot past De Gea, who appeared to have it covered.
Ten Hag’s players improved during the course of the match, and we were ultimately rewarded for our efforts when Grealish was judged to have touched the ball within his own area and referee Paul Tierney directed to the spot. Fernandes stepped up and sent the City custodian the wrong way to bring the Reds level as the United end held its breath.
City would once again deal us an early blow as they increased their advantage, despite the fact that the Reds came out for the second half with a true display of determination. Gundogan was found on the outside of the box by teammate De Bruyne, who then volleyed through a sea of people and past De Gea in an almost identical move to his opening goal.
Marcus Rashford sought to draw us even again with a quick shot on the edge of the box, but his attempt fizzed over Ortega’s bar. Clear-cut chances in front of goal were few and far between.
Alejandro Garnacho, a second-half substitution who energised the Reds’ offence, came agonisingly close to tying the score at 2-2. The young Argentine player scooped up the ball at the outside of the box and fired a shot that just missed the bottom right corner.
Heroic play by City’s defence stopped us from scoring a late equaliser and sending the game into overtime, particularly a goal-line clearing from John Stones that thwarted our final legitimate chance of the game.
