Aston Villa advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Cardiff City.
January loan signing Marco Asensio’s brace sealed a comfortable win over the Championship side at Villa Park.
Villa dominated possession and created several chances but found Cardiff goalkeeper Ethan Horvath in fine form, making key saves to keep the visitors in contention.
The Bluebirds sat deep in a defensive shape, frustrating the hosts for much of the match.
The breakthrough came when Marcus Rashford delivered a precise cross for Asensio, who swept the ball past Horvath. This was Rashford's 3rd consecutive assist to Marco Asensio for Aston Villa.
The Spaniard doubled Villa’s lead in the 80th minute, finishing from a Leon Bailey cross to secure his fourth goal since joining on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in January.
Villa controlled proceedings throughout, limiting Cardiff’s attacking threat and ensuring their place in the last eight of the competition. They have advanced to the quarter-final stage for the first time since 2015, when they went on to lose the final to Arsenal.
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