M’BORO......... 0 MAN CITY..... 2

LEROY GOES CRAZY TO HELP SEND PEP BACK TO WEMBLEY

HOW’S that for an in-Sane FA Cup quarter-final?

Manchester City caused mayhem down by the Riverside with a juggernaut performance which amazingly only produced two goals.

David Silva and Sergio Aguero – who else? – sealed the victory with strikes in a formidable one-sided contest which takes Pep Guardiola to Wembley for his first FA Cup Semi-Final.

City carved out a glut of golden chances with German wonderkid Leroy Sane producing a man-of-the-match performance to leave his boss happy and glorious ahead of the Champions League return at Monaco on Wednesday night.

But Guardiola, like the rest of us, must still be scratching his head how City did not run riot as they clocked up their 50th win over Boro who had keeper Brad Guzan to thank for restricting it to two.

Guardiola, now back at the home of football where he won the Champions League as both a player and manager, said: “I’m delighted.

“We would have liked to have scored more goals but to be at Wembley in a semi-final, we’re delighted.

“I have good memories of Wembley and we are so happy to travel to London. We’re going to try and go back there after the semi-final. The FA Cup is very special.”

Boro coach Aitor Karanka was disappointed but upbeat following a dogged display which could be the springboard for Premier League survival. The Spaniard said: “I can take a lot of positives. We have recovered our consistency and confidence. “I told them after the game that this is the only way to stay in the Premier League. “Playing like that today is the way.”

You could have imagined Guardiola impressing on his troops to fly out of the blocks. And that is exactly what City did to scorch into the lead after just over two minutes.

Yaya Toure found the recalled Pablo Zabaleta with a delightful ball over the top of the Boro defence, the City defender hooked across goal and after Raheem Sterling missed Silva made no mistake.

Guardiola spun out of his dugout seat and celebrated long and hard. So did his team with City looking totally committed to the cause. Full of running. Definitely up for the cup, as they say.

Middlesbrough had no answer to the non-stop swathe of Sky Blue attacking and the odds on Guzan picking more balls out of the net seemed to be overwhelming.

But Boro finally found their feet in the 22nd minute when Grant Leadbitter’s corner homed in on Rudy Gestede and the striker’s header was saved at point-blank range by under-scrutiny keeper Claudio Bravo.

Three minutes later, Gestede pulled up and was replaced by City old boy Alvaro Negredo who heard the once-customary chant of “Beast” to welcome him on to the pitch from the travelling faithful.

City should have gone further ahead when Sterling pulled back for Sane who mis-hit when goal No.2 beckoned.

And then a touch of class from Sane saw him dribble with trickery only to finally be denied an opening.

Cristhian Stuani headed straight at Bravo as bamboozled Boro tried to get back on level terms but they should have gone further behind when Toure planted a header wide.

City started the second half at the same level of ferocity as the first and would have put the game to bed before the hour mark if not for some dozy finishing.

Kevin de Bruyne, picked out by Toure, fed across goal and Sterling missed again and then Silva ballooned over to leave Guardiola flapping his hands in frustration.

Then City cranked up the pressure and should have been rewarded with a flood of goals instead of just the solitary one as Aguero’s clip was pushed against the post by Guzan.

Silva’s trusty left foot failed to fool Guzan who saved one-handed and seconds later Sane suffered the same fate.

It was frustration with a capital “F” until City scored their vital second in the 67th minute. Sane’s pinpoint ball across goal saw Aguero pounce to jab in and ease those nerves on the bench and among the away support.

There was a scare for City in the 77th minute when Fabio’s header looked goalbound until Bravo got a glove on the ball and John Stones tidied up on the line.

But City should have finished on an even higher note when Sterling wriggled through and released a left-foot shot which Guzan somehow stopped.