CITY WIN... EVEN WHEN THEY LOSE
Man City 0 Man Utd 1
Carabao Cup semi-final 2nd leg: City win 3-2 on aggregate
MANCHESTER CITY have reached the Carabao Cup final for the third year running – despite slumping to derby defeat.
Pep Guardiola’s side, who have won the competition for the past two years, will face Aston Villa at Wembley on March 1 after coming out on top over two legs.
But City limped into the final, following numerous wasted chances to score against local rivals United, who won on the night thanks to a Nemanja Matic (left) first-half strike. But he was sent off with 14 minutes to go, leaving United with
10 men as they battled to try to get the second goal to take the tie to a penalty shoot-out.
But City’s 3-1 victory from the semifinal’s first leg at Old Trafford ultimately proved decisive, with United unable to add to Matic’s 35th-minute thunderbolt strike.
City’s win means that Guardiola’s side have the possibility of joining Liverpool as the only other side to win the competition three years running – if they can overcome Villa.
Guardiola’s side dominated possession early on and created a succession of chances, but were unable to turn their superiority into the hard currency of a goal.
Raheem Sterling had a first-half goal ruled out for offside, then somehow managed to mess up a chance when he was through with only United keeper David de Gea to beat.
Sergio Aguero also had an 83rd-minute goal chalked off for offside, which had given United hope of taking the tie to a shoot-out, but, in the end, Solskjaer’s 10 men did not have it in them.