Liverpool and City are chasing titles on several fronts, but only now Liverpool have a chance to emulate the Manchester United hat-trick from the 1998/1999 season.
Already after nine minutes, Liverpool advanced with Ibrahima Konate, and eight minutes later Sadio Mane made it 2-0 after a general foul by City goalkeeper Zach Stephen. Mane grabbed the ball from the American goalkeeper with a slippery intervention and pulled the ball into the goal.
Mane took a 3-0 lead before the break, while Grealish fell to 1-3 right after the break. Manchester City had several chances to create excitement in the match, but Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson stood in his way until Bernardo Silva scored in defence.
City have never managed to equalize, and Liverpool are ready for another final. It will be played on Saturday 14 May against Chelsea or Crystal Palace, who meet in the second semi-final on Sunday.
In the league, there is only one difference between the title contenders with seven games remaining. In the Champions League, the teams can meet in the final, if Liverpool win the semi-final against Villarreal and City overtake Real Madrid in the second semi-final.
heavy losses
Liverpool have already won their first title of the season. They did so on February 27, when they won the League Cup final against Chelsea after a penalty shootout. Saturday’s early FA Cup semi-final match looked like a show of strength.
Konate scored the opening goal for Liverpool in both settlements in the Champions League quarter-final against Benfica and did it again in the same way against City. The French player rose to the highest level with a corner kick and stabbed 1-0.
Knutsen cursed: “Football shouldn’t be this way.”
Stephen had no chance of scoring Konate’s goal, but he should take full responsibility for Mane’s two-to-none score. Mane chased a rebound from John Stones and rewarded that effort since Stephen held the ball for too long.
Having tackled the ball into the net with a score of 2-0, Mane showed his ultimate technique when he made it 3-0 just before the break. The ball was shot to Mane, who finished off the ball with a full shot from the corner.
There is no final race
Even after the humiliation in the first place, Pep Guardiola and City had no plans to go to Liverpool after the break.
The host team spent just one minute and eleven seconds into the second half cut back to 1-3. Gabriel Jesus freed himself well from the penalty area before sending Jack Grealish in front of goal. The English billionaire could easily put his fifth goal in the City suit.
After both the 54th and 70th minutes, Jesus had ample chances to score himself. On both occasions, compatriot and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson emerged victorious from the duel.
Bernardo Silva scored when the game was 90 minutes and City had scored three times in the goal during extra time, but there were no more goals. Kevin De Bruyne remained on the bench throughout the match after being injured earlier this week in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid.
Liverpool could also score near the end, but 3-2 was enough to secure a spot for scouts in the FA Cup Final.
(© NTB)
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