Carabao Cup semifinal: Man City asserts control with first-half blitz - as it happened

Manchester City took control of the Carabao Cup semifinal tie with a 3-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Updated : Jan 08, 2020 03:52 IST

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (left) outwitted Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in the Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium in December last year.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (left) outwitted Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in the Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium in December last year.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (left) outwitted Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in the Premier League fixture at Etihad Stadium in December last year.

Goals from Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and an Andreas Pereira own-goal put Manchester City 3-0 up at half-time, and just as it threatened to put the tie to bed, Marcus Rashford pulled one back ahead of the second leg at Etihad Stadium.

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Full-time: Manchester United 1-3 Manchester City. City's first-half blitz puts it in control, though Marcus Rashford's second-half goal has cut the deficit to two for United, which needs a big performance in the second leg.

90' We are into three minutes of stoppage time.

88' SAVED! Marcus Rashford tests Claudio Bravo from distance! Hits it well, gets a bit of dip and swerve and Bravo didn't deal with it all that well. He concedes a corner which United doesn't make the most of.

83' Nemanja Matic, who came on for Jesse Lingard, has helped Manchester United exert control in midfield, and given City's defence a few problems.

81' Substitution for Man United: Anthony Martial replaces Mason Greenwood.

80' Substitution for Man City: Kevin de Bruyne went to ground and looked dazed following the impact of a challenge. He got back up on his feet and walked out of play and was ready to get back on. Pep Guardiola, though, tells him his night is over and Gabriel Jesus comes on for him .

75' The match is being played at a much slower pace since the Marcus Rashford goal. Manchester United has 15 minutes to cut the deficit further with Manchester City looking progressively fatigued.

71' GOAL! The start of a comeback? Marcus Rashford with a clinical finish to make the score 3-1. Mason Greenwood with an excellent pass onto the path of Rashford, who had plenty of the goal to aim at while Nicolas Otamendi watched on helplessly.

64' OHHH! Marcus Rashford looks to curl a free-kick from about 25 yards into the top corner. Doesn't get the dip he was looking for and the ball sails over the crossbar harmlessly for Claudio Bravo. United, though, has threatened in the last five minutes, with Nemanja Matic finding attacking players between the lines with precise, slick passes that are causing City problems.

56' Manchester United has seen a good deal of possession early in the second half. But it's given the ball away in dangerous areas, often while trying to play quickly. City has been razor-sharp on the counter-attack on the night and the intensity is still very much there.

50' A loose pass is pounced on by Kevin de Bruyne, whose layoff finds Raheem Sterling on the edge of the box. Sterling takes a shot but it's blocked. Andreas Pereira then looks to race down the left flank, dragging Fernandinho out of position. The Brazilian defender seems to barge into his compatriot and shove him away. It's not been deemed a foul by referee Mike Dean. Just a throw-in.

47' SAVED! Brandon Williams with an effort on target after some exchanging passes with Fred. Good pressure from City in its own box to hurry Williams into a shot.

46' We are back underway for the second half, with Manchester United attacking the Stretford End. A change for United: Nemanja Matic replaces Jesse Lingard.

Half-time: Manchester City 3-0 up against Manchester United at half-time in the first leg. Bernars

44' CHANCE! It's essentially chance after chance after chance for Raheem Sterling, who's not been able to sort his feet out when he's had the goal-scoring opportunities tonight. This time Riyad Mahrez finds him with a perfectly-weighted cross and Sterling looks to side-foot it home first time, but again, mishits it and it's a huge sigh of relief for the home team.

43' OFFSIDE! Raheem Sterling side-foots his effort wide from a Kevin de Bruyne cross, but the linesman's put his flag up with Sterling a fraction ahead of the defensive line as de Bruyne crossed from the right.

39' GOAL, 3-0! Andreas Pereira turns the ball into his own goal after David de Gea saved a Kevin de Bruyne shot from inside the box. City absolutely rampant at Old Trafford! 

33' GOAL! Victor Lindelof's poor header falls kindly to Bernardo Silva in the United half. He's able to take a touch and play a throughball to Riyad Mahrez, off a slight deflection, the Algerian rounds David de Gea and rolls the ball into the empty net. City 2-0

32' OHHH! Andreas Pereira swings in a cross from a Fred corner, causing confusion in the City defence that had failed to deal with the initial corner. The danger is eventually cleared and United fails to make the most of a rare opportunity to test Claudio Bravo.

29' Man City seeing plenty of the ball in the last five minutes but United keeping its visitor at arm's length with its defensive organisation. City, though, is passing the ball around with precision and with a swagger as the score remains 1-0.

24' CHANCE! Kyle Walker finds Raheem Sterling around the six-yard box and the winger hits it first time only to see his shot blocked. United was vulnerable on that occasion, Sterling still goal-less against the Red Devils.

17' GOAL! Bernardo Silva produces an absolute thunderbolt to curl the ball around David de Gea and find the back of the net! City 1-0 up in the tie.

12' A foul on Andreas Pereira by Raheem Sterling, who pleads innocence. Referee Mike Dean, though, gives the free-kick to United, which doesn't make the most of it.

8' Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford combine well on the right! Rashford goes past Nicolas Otamendi and plays a low cross across the face of goal. Fernandinho's positioning helps him clear the ball away. United has started well!

4' United with a good spell of possession. There's some confusion in the City defence, but Rodrigo positions himself nicely and deals with the threat before Nicolas Otamendi clears the danger.

2' City with a swift counter-attack that, however, doesn't cause much danger to the United defence. Bernardo Silva releases Kyle Walker down the right, the England right-back squares the ball into the box, but Williams shows good composure and Bernardo Silva sends the ball behind for a goal-kick.

Kick-off City gets us underway! Here we go. City attacking the Stretford End in the first half. Mason Greenwood gets the first taste of the derby.

The players are in the Old Trafford tunnel! The goalkeepers David de Gea and Claudio Bravo embrace, the two sets of players appear relaxed but remember, this is the derby and both teams have a point to prove after United's victory over City in the Premier League.

Manchester United starting XI: David de Gea (GK), Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof, Williams, Fred, Andreas Pereira, Daniel James, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford (c), Mason Greenwood ( Substitutes: Sergio Romero, Diogo Dalot, Nemanja Matic, Chong, Gomes, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial)

Manchester City starting XI: Claudio Bravo (GK), Kyle Walker, Nicolas Otamendi, Fernandinho (c), Benjamin Mendy, Rodrigo, Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling ( Substitutes: Ederson, Eric Garcia, Joao Cancelo, Phil Foden, David Silva, Gabriel Jesus, Sergio Aguero)

Carabao Cup holder Manchester City faces derby rival Manchester United in the semifinal first leg at Old Trafford, where it has won on its last three visits. United, though, beat City 2-1 in the Premier League fixture in December last year, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer outwitting Pep Guardiola with his team's setup and tactics.

With City 14 points adrift of Liverpool in the Premier League title race, the League Cup offers it a shot at silverware this season, though in United it faces an opponent that has tended to raise its game against the Big Six, losing only to Arsenal on new year's day this season.

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