Manchester United’s XI in last match v Reading in 2019

Add as preferred source on Google

Manchester United and Reading will face off for the first time in four years in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag‘s Red Devils will take on Paul Ince’s Royals with a spot in this season’s fifth-round up for grabs.

The twenty-time league champions beat Everton 3-1 at the Theatre of Dreams to progress to the last-32, while Ince’s Reading beat fellow Championship side Watford 2-0 at the Select Car Leasing Stadium to set up a clash with his former club.

Ahead of Saturday’s 8pm kick, United in Focus takes a look back at the last clash between Manchester United and Reading.

When did Manchester United last play Reading?

Under the tutelage of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Reds beat Jose Gomes’ Reading 2-0 at Old Trafford in the FA Cup third-round on 5 January 2019.

A Juan Mata penalty and a goal from Romelu Lukaku proved enough for Solskjaer’s side to see off the Championship team.

United’s starting XI that day was: Romero, Dalot, Darmian, Jones, Young, McTominay, Fred, Pereira, Mata, Sanchez, Lukaku.

Among these players, only Diogo Dalot, Scott McTominay and Fred remain at the club – as does Phil Jones.

This was far from United’s best XI at the time, with Solskjaer making numerous changes from the team he fielded in the Premier League the game prior.

The win against the Royals was the Norwegian’s fifth consecutive win since being hired as United’s caretaker manager following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

Speaking after the match he told BBC Sport: “The way we played wasn’t the best. We made nine changes, so I made it hard for the boys because they hadn’t played together too much. But we got the goals and managed to get through.”

The baby-faced assassin would go onto win ten of his first 11 games in charge of the club before being beaten 2-0 at home against Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League last 16 first leg.

But Marcus Rashford’s last-gasp penalty at the Parc des Princes completed a remarkable comeback and saw United advance to the Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of the Ligue 1 giants on away goals.

Having beaten both Chelsea and Arsenal away from home in the fourth and fifth round of the 2018/19 FA Cup, Solskjaer’s crashed out at the quarter-final stage having been beaten 2-1 by Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.