Juan Mata's bending free-kick past Shrewsbury Town's Jayson Leutwiler handed Manchester United at 2-0 lead just before halftime at the Greenhous Meadow on Monday.
Although there are question marks over the legitimacy of the strike due to three United players' inability to run back from the offside position, the neatly struck set-piece drew Louis van Gaal's side nearer to a quarterfinal match with West Ham United.