MAN UNITED 0, MIDDLESBROUGH 0
(after extra time, Boro won 3-1 on penalties)
Manchester United became another big-name casualty in the Capital One Cup as they lost on penalties to Sky Bet Championship club Middlesbrough.
Twenty-four hours after Chelsea and Arsenal were eliminated in the last 16, they were followed by the Reds following a dramatic penalty shootout.
And Boro’s hero was second-string goalkeeper Tomas Mejias, the 26-year-old former Real Madrid man who has represented Spain at junior level.
Mejas saved spot kicks from Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young while Michael Carrick blazed over the bar on what was a miserable night for the Old Trafford club.
But it was another great night for Boro who last season won at Manchester City in the FA Cup as they progressed to the quarter finals.
While there was joy for Boro’s 10,000 strong travelling army, home fans trooped dejectedly from the ground at 10.40pm.
It was all change from Sunday’s derby with Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo the only starters from the City game that kicked off this cup tie.
Van Gaal had the opportunity to run the rule over many of his squad players who have had little match action in recent weeks, though there were still eight full internationals in his line up.
The manager also employed a new formation 4-1-4-1 with Carrick the holding midfield player and James Wilson the lone striker.
Van Gaal had all his big hitters on the bench, though, as David De Gea, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial, Rooney, Young, Ander Herrera and Bastian Schweinsteiger were all held in reserve.
Boro also had a different looking line up with five changes from the side that won at Wolves last Saturday.
And it was the visitors almost gave their huge following a dream start when United made a dog’s dinner clearing a corner. Jack Stephens’ overhead kick fell invitingly to George Friend but he shot weakly at keeper Sergio Romero.
It was a disappointing opening from United who failed to create a clear-cut chance in the opening quarter of the game.
United had to wait 35 minutes before mustering a goal attempt and then it was a weak Wilson effort that was easily kept out by keeper Mejias.
The best chance of the dire opening half came three minutes before the break when Stewart Downing’s drive from the edge of the box brought a fine reflex save from Romero to tip it over the crossbar.
Rooney replaced Wilson, who appeared to pick up a knock late in the half, at the break as United looked for more inventiveness up front.
There was a scare when Boro keeper Mejias allowed a Memphis Depay shot to slip through his hands, though he managed to retrieve the situation before the ball trickled into the net.
United began to create openings, but none troubled keeper Mejias. Indeed, Boro had the ball on the net but the assistant had long flagged for offside before Daley Blind’s miscued clearance past his own keeper.
Van Gaal made his second change after an hour when Young replaced Rojo in a straight swop at left back.
There was another bizarre moment involving Blind when the Dutchman’s back pass ran under the foot of Romero, who completely miss-kicked by Romero as the ball rolled agonisingly wide.
Romero made amends moments later saving well to deny Grant Leadbitter.
The third and final United change came with 20 minutes left when Martial replaced the ineffective Depay.
The only drama of a dismal 90 minutes came in the dying stages when both sides had chances to win the game in regulation time.
Jesse Lingard struck the upright for the Reds whose keeper Romero pulled off two crucial stops to deny Leadbitter and Downing, the latter in stoppage time.
Stalemate continued in the opening period of extra time when Leadbitter had a goalbound shot blocked and Fellaini headed wide under pressure from two yards with the Belgium claiming he was shoved off the ball.
United finished the second half strongly as Andreas Pereira fired just wide, the Reds had a penalty shout rejected claiming handball against Tomas Kalas while at the death Fellaini twice and Martial both went close with headers as the game went to a penalty decider.