Bernd Leno sends message after Joshua Zirkzee’s heartbreaking reveal
Fulham have found themselves in the FA Cup quarter-finals after knocking out Man United on Sunday (2 March).
Marco Silva’s men took the lead at Old Trafford on the stroke of halftime through an unlikely source in Calvin Bassey, who was playing his first-ever game in the competition.
However, the 20-time champions responded via Bruno Fernandes as the game then went onto extra time and eventually penalties.
The Premier League giants had won their previous three penalty shootouts in the FA Cup prior to this, but it was Fulham who came out on top on this occasion.
Silva’s men dispatched all four of their penalties as Andre Onana failed to make any saves, but Bernd Leno proved to be the hero as he saved strikes from Victor Lindelof and United forward Joshua Zirkzee.
They will now play against Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals of the competition in a bid to reach the final four.
Bernd Leno was the penalty shootout hero
Leno played a crucial role in Fulham reaching the next stage of the competition, but he also thrived throughout the 120 minutes beforehand.
The 32-year-old made eight saves during the game and was accurate with 85 per cent of his passes to help build-up play from the back.
| Match Stats | Leno |
| Punches | 1 |
| Throws | 7 |
| Touches | 42 |
| Recoveries | 8 |
Leno took to Instagram to send Fulham fans a message by simply saying “Quarter final,” while Patrick Bauer responded in the comments with a goat emoji.
Zirkzee had posted a moving message of his own as he dealt with his cup heartbreak, apologising to fans for letting them down.
Fulham are firing on all cylinders this season
Fulham are enjoying another positive season under Silva, with the club in the final eight of the FA Cup and flying high in the Premier League.
The Londoners currently sit ninth in the table and are part of the chasing pack pushing for European football.
They will be back in action against Brighton on Saturday (8 March), with the Seagulls currently sitting just one place above them.
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