CITY ARE ZIN THE MOOD!
Ukrainian ace fires home crucial penalty to earn semi-final spot
Albrighton 73 OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO fired Manchester City into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup last night after Leicester missed three penalties in a game that went to a shootout.
The Ukrainian midfielder rifled an unstoppable spotkick into the top corner of the net, sparing the blushes of Raheem Sterling, whose ‘Panenka’ dink had sailed harmlessly over the bar.
Harry Maguire scored the opening penalty for the visitors after the quarterfinal finished 1-1, and then watched as Christian Fuchs, James Maddison and Caglar Soyuncu stepped up to miss for the Foxes.
With Ilkay Gundogan and Gabriel Jesus making no mistake from 12 yards, it was left to Zinchenko to apply the finishing touch. It had De Bruyne 14 looked for much of the game as though Kevin De Bruyne’s early strike was going to be enough for Manchester City, until Leicester sub Marc Albrighton belted in an equaliser.
You could not help thinking being only one goal down going in at half-time was a bit of a result for Leicester. Quite why manager Claude Puel saw fit to make seven changes to his side is a mystery.
Yes, the visitors made one change more than that, but when bringing in players of the quality of De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, it really is not the same equation.
De Bruyne seemed in a hurry to mark his return from injury and opened the scoring in the 14th minute.
The Belgium midfielder picked up the ball just outside the angle of the 18-yard box and weaved his way across, a bit of fancy footwork being followed by a low shot into the corner.
Riyad Mahrez, a title winner with Leicester, was welcomed back with warm applause and should have extended the lead soon after but hooked wide his effort from six yards out.
Leicester tried without success to spring their opponents’ backline but on one of the rare occasions when they seriously threatened, keeper Arijanet Muric did well to get down and push a longrange Demarai Gray shot around a post. Pep Guardiola’s men went in search of the second goal which might well have been enough to put the game beyond reach and can feel a little aggrieved they did not get a penalty on the stroke of half-time. Brahim Diaz cut his way just inside the box and looked to be barged to the ground by Wilfred Ndidi, but referee Lee Mason was having none of it.
Early in the second half, Mahrez put Aguero through on goal but his angled shot was blocked by Danny Ward (left, laughing at Sterling’s miss).
Mahrez came within a whisker of sealing it with a well-struck, curling shot just a fraction high.
The Foxes had a hopeful penalty claim waved away when Kelechi Iheanacho tumbled after the faintest of brushes with De Bruyne.
But Leicester were rewarded for their persistence when Albrighton thumped in a 73rd-minute equaliser after killing a long ball from Ndidi and unleashing a shot which gave Muric no chance.