Manchester United sink Barnsley to reach EFL Cup quarter-finals

Impressive first-half display secures progression for Erik ten Hag's side

Dutchman praises team's 'fighting spirit' after battling performance

Manchester United secured their place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Barnsley at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Goals from Fred and Antony in the first half were enough to see off the League One side, who put up a spirited display and had chances of their own.

Erik ten Hag made nine changes to the team that beat Arsenal 3-1 in the Premier League on Sunday, but his side showed no signs of complacency and were quickly into their stride.

Fred opened the scoring in the 13th minute, firing home from the edge of the penalty area after a neat turn on the ball.

Antony doubled the lead just seven minutes later, finishing coolly after being played in by Bruno Fernandes.

Barnsley had their moments, with Devante Cole and Jordan Williams both going close, but United held on for a comfortable victory.

"I'm happy with the performance, especially in the first half," said ten Hag.

"We created a lot of chances and scored two good goals. We controlled the game well and deserved to win."

"I was also pleased with the way the team fought in the second half. Barnsley made it difficult for us, but we showed good character to see the game out."

United will find out their quarter-final opponents when the draw is made on Thursday.

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"We're delighted to be in the quarter-finals," said United captain Bruno Fernandes.

"It was a tough game, but we showed our quality in the first half and got the goals we needed."

"We're now looking forward to the draw and seeing who we get in the next round."

"We're under no illusions about how tough this competition is, but we're confident that we can go all the way," added ten Hag.

"We have a good squad and we're starting to find our feet. We're excited for the challenges ahead."