By Canadian Press

City humiliates United in 3-1 derby win in League Cup semis

Jan 7, 2020 | 4:18 PM

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester City humiliated Manchester United in its fierce rival’s own stadium Tuesday, easing to a 3-1 victory in the first leg of their English League Cup semifinal to stay on course to win the competition for a third straight year.

All of City’s goals at Old Trafford came in a one-sided first half that highlighted the gulf which has opened up between the cross-town neighbours over recent years.

When the visitors went 3-0 up courtesy of an own-goal by Andreas Pereira in the 39th minute, memories were revived of the 6-1 win served up on this ground by Roberto Mancini’s City in 2011 that was one signal of the shifting of the balance of soccer power in Manchester.

However, United managed to avoid conceding any more goals and a 70th-minute strike by Marcus Rashford gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team a glimmer of hope heading into the second leg at City’s Etihad Stadium on Jan. 29.

“Of course, Manchester United can come back,” City manager Pep Guardiola said, making reference to United advancing from the Champions League round of 16 last season after losing 2-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg. “Last year here they lost to PSG and they qualify. They have the shirt which means history and pride.”

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City has won the League Cup the last two seasons and is now unbeaten in 16 straight matches in the competition, dating back to a loss at United in the fourth round in October 2016.

Aston Villa takes on Leicester in the other semifinal on Wednesday.

Mindful of how United tore apart his City team on the counterattack in a Premier League game won by Solskjaer’s side at the Etihad last month, Guardiola chose not to play a recognized striker – Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus were on the bench – and flooded his midfield to outnumber the hosts in that department.

“We win and we’re a genius,” Guardiola said, “but if we don’t win I know what will happen. We try to control the counterattacks because they’re a wonderful team.”

City’s midfielders picked their moments to charge forward, and did so with devastating effect.

Bernardo Silva was unchallenged as he advanced toward the edge of United’s penalty area and drove a fierce, curling shot into the top corner in the 17th minute, with goalkeeper David De Gea barely moving.

The Portugal playmaker then wriggled into space in the centre of the field and threaded a perfectly weighted through ball to Riyad Mahrez, who ran onto the pass, rounded De Gea and slotted the ball into an empty net in the 33rd.

United was reeling and it got even worse six minutes later. Again its defence opened up as Kevin De Bruyne went round Phil Jones with ease and fired in a left-footed shot that was saved by De Gea, only for the ball to ricochet off the shin of Pereira and rebound into the net.

With Raheem Sterling wasting two glorious chances that were teed up for him from crosses from the right, City should have gone into halftime with an even bigger lead.

“We didn’t deal with their system well enough,” Solskjaer said.

Mahrez struck the outside of the post early in the second half and also brought out a good save from the feet of De Gea, before United finally got in behind City’s defence to score a goal that could yet prove to be more than a consolation.

Mason Greenwood slipped a well-timed pass into the path of Rashford, who took a touch and finished low past City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

Away goals do not count double if the aggregate score is tied after two legs in the League Cup.

“We’ve shown before we have been down from a home tie and turned it around,” Solskjaer said. “PSG is the latest example and we have to believe that we can put on a performance.”

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