LONDON: Mexican substitute Javier Hernandez scored a late winner to send holder Manchester United into the League Cup quarterfinals with a 3-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford Tuesday. After a goalless first half, the visitors twice came back from a goal down against a youthful United side before “Little Pea” Hernandez skipped past defenders to settle the tie in the 90th minute. Bebe and Park Ji-sung scored the other goals for United. United manager Alex Ferguson fielded a second-string lineup including goalkeeper Ben Amos, winger Gabriel Obertan and Portuguese forward Bebe, who started a match for the first time since joining the club in August. But equalizers by George Elokobi and Kevin Foley forced Ferguson to introduce Hernandez, who scored twice in the Premier League Sunday for a 2-1 win at Stoke, as an 81st-minute substitute. “He's got a great attitude to the game and he wants to learn,” United defender Wes Brown said. “He tries his hardest and he deserved his goal at the end.” Premier League West Bromwich Albion roared through to the last eight with a thumping 4-1 victory at former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson's Championship (second division) side Leicester City. Wigan Athletic beat second division Swansea City 2-0 with Argentine striker Mauro Boselli scoring his first goal for the club since his signing from Estudiantes. The run of fourth division Northampton Town, which knocked out Liverpool at Anfield on penalties, ended at second division Ipswich Town where it lost 3-1 despite opening the scoring with a looping Liam Davis shot. Birmingham needed an injury-time equalizer before beating third-tier struggler Brentford 4-3 in a penalty shootout. Murcia holds Madrid In Madird, third-tier Murcia held Spanish leader Real Madrid to an embarrassing 0-0 draw Tuesday as topflight clubs entered the fourth round of the Copa del Rey. Murcia goalkeeper Dani Hernandez made second-half saves to deny Cristiano Ronaldo, Pedro Leon and substitute Angel Di Maria to keep Madrid from taking the lead in the first leg match. Madrid controlled the game at the Nueva Condomina Stadium as it was determined not to repeat last year's 4-0 first leg defeat to minnow Alcorcon at the same stage. Third-tier clubs have eliminated Madrid in the fourth round the past two seasons. Madrid, a 17-time winner of the domestic cup competition, hasn't won it since 1993. Meanwhile, record 25-time champion Barcelona fielded a largely reserve side and still earned an easy 2-0 win at Ceuta. Not one of its six players shortlisted for the FIFA Ballon d'Or world player of the year award were in Barcelona's starting lineup on the North African enclave. Barcelona's squad arrived by helicopter earlier in the day. The Spanish champion looked like scoring right from the start and Maxwell duly found the net with a left-footed shot past keeper Cecilio Nauzet in the 16th minute. Nine minutes later, Thiago missed Maxwell's centering cross but Pedro was there at far post to guide the ball in. Barcelona peppered Ceuta's goal throughout the match, with Bojan Krkic hitting the crossbar and then being denied by Nauzet in the second half. Super Cup headed back to China Three of the next four Italian Super Cups will be played in China, including the 2011 edition. Serie A president Maurizio Beretta made the announcement Tuesday, saying that holding the competition in Asia is important “for promoting Italian football in those markets.” The Italian Super Cup was played in Beijing in 2009, when Lazio beat Inter Milan 2-1. Beretta says holding the cup in China next year works well because there is no World Cup or European Championship, meaning players should be more rested for a long trip. The annual match each August pits the Serie A champion against the Italian Cup winner.
