Loanees Asensio and Rashford link up to send Aston Villa past Cardiff
Aston Villa's Marco Asensio scores their opener in the FA Cup fifth round against Cardiff at Villa Park on Friday night: Bradley Collyer/PA
Marco Asensio netted twice and Marcus Rashford scored a moral victory as Aston Villa became the first team into the FA Cup quarter-finals on Friday night.
On-loan Manchester United forward Rashford, such a disconsolate figure at Old Trafford for so long, provided a glorious assist for fellow loanee Marco Asensio.
Asensio stroked home the first goal to help fire Villa into the last eight for the first time in 10 years.
By the time Rashford departed to a standing ovation in the 82nd minute, the 27-year-old had created six chances, equalling the most he ever created in any of his 426 matches for United (six versus Wigan Athletic in January 2024).
Villa manager Unai Emery talked passionately in his programme notes about “we climbed a big mountain but there are still many stages to get to the peak”.
Rashford has enjoyed a new lease of life in the midlands and he showed his renewed zest in this tie to help them reach those summits.
In a stodgy opening, two of Rashford’s shots hit Cardiff players.
When Villa finally did break through, Ollie Watkins’s toe-poked effort beat Horvath in a one-on-one but also the far post following Asensio’s neat through ball.
Youri Tielemans seemed destined to give Villa the lead from Rashford’s pull back, but Aaron Ramsey threw himself in the way to make the block.
Leon Bailey had Villa’s best on-target effort to date when his volley was tipped away by Horvath.
Rashford then blazed high and wide from an open goal at the far post after Bailey’s cross evaded the goalkeeper.
Former Villa winger Anwar El Ghazi had Cardiff’s only effort of the first half but his drive drifted well wide.
Horvath denied Villa the lead when he blocked Watkins’s point-blank volley with his chest after Rashford looped a header back into the danger area.
Cardiff appealed for a penalty when Perry Ng went down going for the return from Aaron Ramsey’s pass, But replays showed he fell into Ian Maatsen.
Horvath again denied Villa early in the second half when he was at full stretch to palm away John McGinn’s placed effort.
Rashford went close when his fierce drive was deflected, taking the ball away from Horvath, who still tipped it away.
Cardiff’s only chance came in the 65th minute. Rubin Colwill got ahead of Ezri Konsa to connect Ng’s inviting cross, but Emi Martinez blocked.
Villa made the Welshmen pay for the miss almost immediately by taking a 68th-minute lead.
And it was typical of his night that Rashford was heavily involved.
The former England international timed his run onto Tielemans’s chip to perfection to stay just onside to send a cushioned volley square to Asensio, who casually stroked the ball home with the side of his foot.
Asensio clinched the tie in the 80th minute. The on-loan Paris Saint-Germain midfielder had time to get the ball stuck between his feet before picking his spot in the corner of the net after Watkins allowed Bailey’s cross to pass him.
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