With just four minutes from
Julián Álvarez
and a double from the Portuguese
Bernardo Silva
,
Manchester City
complied with the procedure and beat
Newcastle
2-0 to advance to the semifinals of the FA Cup, the oldest tournament in the history of football.
The same place that
Coventry City
, from the Championship, had accessed a while before, then in a victory that was completely out of the plans until two minutes before the end of the match against
Wolverhampton
.
The versatile Silva appeared in the 13th minute and in the 31st minute of the first half so that Pep Guardiola's Citizens made the difference necessary to put the Magpies out of the race.
Álvarez, who usually alternates in the starting team, this time waited on the substitute bench until almost the end when he came on in place of the Norwegian Erling Haaland.
It was one of the two changes that the Spanish coach tried, who a while before made room for the Norwegian Oscar Bobb to replace the Belgian Jeremy Doku.
Without the Belgian strategist Kevin de Bruyne and the Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson, both injured, City, who will face Real Madrid in a few weeks in the Champions League, continued their cup-winning path, as champions, and reserved a place at Wembley, where the final leg of the tournament is played.
For the sixth consecutive season, the Emirati capitals team will be among the four survivors of the event.
City is aiming for a new treble and has real options for it.
With the leadership of the Premier League within reach, among the eight best in the Champions League and a semi-finalist in the FA Cup, Guardiola's team continues to do its thing, carrying out its matches through quality, insistence and almost always by knockout.
Manchester City had its dose of fortune when it came to scoring the first two goals, in half an hour.
Nothing much had happened at the Etihad Stadium but the lead fell like ripe fruit, picked up by Bernardo Silva.
At thirteen minutes, he received a ball inside the area from Rodri.
After a couple of feints he fired.
The ball hit a defender, was poisoned and reached the net after beating Martin Dubravka.
UP THE CITY WITH A LITTLE FORTUNE!
Bernardo Silva took his right foot, but the ball deflected along the way and went over Dúbravka for the 1-0 vs.
Newcastle.
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— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) March 16, 2024
The second was in the 31st minute, when Bernardo Silva, in the crescent, collected a pass from Ruben Diasy and shot.
The ball bounced off center back Sven Botman's head and deflected again.
He confused Dubravka, again beaten.
LUCK IS ON YOUR SIDE!
Bernardo Silva scores the second on his personal account and makes it 2-0 for City vs.
Newcastle in the quarterfinals of the #FACup.
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— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) March 16, 2024
City, who left Newcastle unmarked for the first time since last December 23, against Luton Town, closed their twenty-second match without losing without problems.
A journey that keeps him alive, with aspirations, in each of the tournaments.
Now also in the FA Cup, in the semi-finals, just two games away from the title.
Coventry City and a big blow in injury time
In the first round of the day there was a surprise, as Coventry City, an English second division team, also got into the top four of the competition after beating Wolverhampton 3-2 on their visit, in a game with agonizing and late goals. script twists.
The visitors started the second half taking the lead on the scoreboard thanks to an appearance by Ellis Simms (ST 8m) and with ten minutes remaining they were still ahead.
But the Wolves, who play in the Premier League, reacted and with two blows from the Algerian Rayan Ait-Nouri (ST 38m) and the Spanish Hugo Bueno (ST 43m) they turned the game around and practically left their place on track for the semi-finals.
SURPRISE IN MOLINEUX!
Simms pushed the ball after the free kick and sealed Coventry City's 1-0 win against Wolves in the FA Cup.
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— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) March 16, 2024
WOLVES TIE IT!
Ait-Nouri appeared after a rebound in the center of the area and in front of the goal he finished to seal the 1-1 against Coventry City for the FA Cup.
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— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) March 16, 2024
GOOD TO TURN IT AROUND!
Hugo Bueno filtered in, received the clearance and scored with class for Wolves' 2-1 win against Coventry City in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
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— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) March 16, 2024
But Simms, the same one who had opened the scoring, had other plans.
He scored the partial equalizer in injury time (ST 52m) before assisting Haji Wright (ST 55m), which certified the current eighth-placed Championship team's place in the semi-finals.
SIMMS AGAIN AND A TIE IN MOLINEUX!
Coventry City's number 9 headed into the area and in the 96th minute made it 2-2 against Wolves in the FA Cup.
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— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) March 16, 2024
AGONIC AND HISTORIC GOAL BY WRIGHT!
At 99 minutes he appeared with a right-footed shot to seal the 3-2 win against Wolves in the FA Cup.
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— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) March 16, 2024
On Sunday, Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Fernández's Chelsea will host the current Championship leader, Leicester (9.45, Star+) before the big match between Alejandro Garnacho's Manchester United and Alexis Mac Allister's Liverpool (12.30, ESPN) in Old Trafford.