[event_performance 4859]
After a disappointing 3-0 defeat at Anfield last week, Man City need to step-up their game against Liverpool in the mid-week in order to overturn the deficit.
This is how the teams shaped up for the big occasion:
Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, D Silva (c), Sane, G Jesus, Sterling, Bernardo
SUBS: Bravo, Aguero, Kompany, Foden, Gundogan, Zinchenko, Delp
Liverpool: Karius; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Dijk, Robertson, Chamberlain, Wijnaldum, Milner, Salah, Firmino, Mane
SUBS: Mignolet, Clyne, Moreno, Klavan, Solanke, Ings, Woodburn
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz
Team News
Four changes for The Blues. Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte, Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus to the starting XI.
Sergio Aguero will start on the bench. Manchester City have Danilo, Ilkay Gundogan, De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Otamendi and Fernandinho who are one booking away from suspension.
For Liverpool, Mohamed Salah recovers from the groin injury, while while James Milner captains the side.
👀#cityvlfc#mancitypic.twitter.com/U6Wh4hshTk
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 10, 2018
What Happened?
The perfect start for Manchester City, as the Blues go ahead in the early moments of the game. Fernandinho wonderful ball to Sterling and he passes to Gabriel Jesus who rolls the ball into the bottom corner.
Superb attacking display from the Blues. Just need to be a little more patient and calm. Controversial ending to the half. The home fans booed for no time being added on.
Guardiola has been sent to the stands for this second half after protesting angrily about Sane’s disallowed goal.
Liverpool get back into the second half as they find a way to damage hopes. Salah rounds Ederson and lobs into the far corner. The writing was already on the wall, though Liverpool makes it two. Firmino picks a poor pass from Otamendi and curls into the bottom corner.
Full Time Man City 1-2 Liverpool (aggregate 1-5)
Simply not good for the Blues, but the disallowed from Sane and a handball could have made the difference.
Credit to Liverpool.
Who Said What:
Jurgen Klopp:
“It was quite difficult tonight, again especially with the start. This wonderful goal that we served them on a plate. I was expecting something like that but I liked the reaction immediately after that.
“City took all the risks they could take. We needed a bit of luck and a disciplined defending formation. I was not overly happy at half-time to be honest.
“He (Pep Guardiola) took all the risks and it was his decision and it could’ve been the absolute right one, it’s easy to say afterwards. They could’ve scored two or three goals in the first half but it was 100% clear that if we win the ball, we’d have an opportunity.
“The last situation in the first half was how you do the counter-attack and that’s how we scored the two goals. It’s not about perfection – it’s about the result, the character, the mentality, really fighting for the result. We defended well. It’s not our best game but we deserved it at the end.”
Pep Guardiola:
“Big congratulations to Liverpool for going through. They are a top team with a top manager.
“I would say they deserve to be in the finals.
“We made an outstanding 45 minutes but in these kind of games in this competition, decisions are so big.
“(I was sent off because) I said Leroy Sane’s goal was a goal. James Milner passed the ball to Leroy and Leroy scored. I said it was goal and that’s why I was sent off.”
“I don’t have regrets. In this competition, those actions have a big influence on what happens.
“It was strange – we started really well. Today, in the first half, we did absolutely everything with three at the back – we created chances and we controlled their counter attack really well.
“In this competition, you have to play an almost perfect 180 minutes. Here, the first half was so good. When you arrive, you have to score goals in these sort of games.”
“We’ve had ten amazing months. Sometimes it’s normal. We’ve played three top teams and we have to recover mentally for the six games remaining. A ten-month winning spell is exceptional.
“You have to analyse game by game. The first half of the United the game should have been over but we missed a lot of chances.
“After 90 seconds, in which we conceded the goals, we recovered really, really well. We’ve lost three games this week so we need to recover against Tottenham.
“We want to win the most prestigious competition which shows that you can win every three days.”
“Look at Barcelona today. The competition is so special. In the Premier League, we are 18-20 points in front (of Liverpool) but when we saw the draw, we knew it would be difficult.
“They’ve won it five times. To recover three goals is not easy. We scored one but weren’t able to score more. We were beaten by an exceptional team.
“There are lots of exceptional teams in England. We cannot compare what we’ve done in the Premier League when we are here. We would have liked to win the Premier League in the last game and it was our dream to get through to the semi finals.
“Hopefully, next season, we can go to the semi-finals.”
