Soccer-Aston Villa's Rashford scores twice in FA Cup win over Preston to reach semis

Soccer Football - FA Cup - FA Cup - Quarter Final - Preston North End v Aston Villa - Deepdale, Preston, Britain - March 30, 2025 Aston Villa's Marcus Rashford celebrates with teammates after scoring their first goal Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

PRESTON, England (Reuters) -Aston Villa striker Marcus Rashford scored twice in a 3-0 defeat of second-tier Preston North End in their FA Cup quarter-final at Deepdale on Sunday to earn a Wembley semi-final against fellow Premier League team Crystal Palace.

Enjoying a rich vein of form on all fronts, Villa are seeking to lift the world's oldest national competition for the first time in 68 years. Nottingham Forest will face either Bournemouth or Manchester City in the other semi-final.