FA Cup semi-final: Man City 2-3 Liverpool - Sadio Mane double helps Jurgen Klopp's side through

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Manchester City keeper Zack Steffen was at fault for Liverpool's second goalManchester City keeper Zack Steffen was at fault for Liverpool's second goal

Liverpool survived a late scare to remain on course for an historic quadruple as they reached the FA Cup final with victory over Manchester City at Wembley.

If last Sunday's Premier League meeting between the clubs was a classic, this semi-final was effectively decided in a one-sided first 45 minutes, in which a mixture of ruthless finishing and Manchester City mistakes saw Liverpool take a 3-0 lead.

An under-strength City were unable to recover as Liverpool, having won the Carabao Cup, are now in the FA Cup final too - as well as the last four of the Champions League, while sitting second in the Premier League.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who was unable to start Kevin de Bruyne and had Kyle Walker out injured, preferred Zack Steffen to Ederson in goal, a move that back-fired spectacularly.

Ibrahima Konate had already headed Liverpool in front after nine minutes when Steffen, trying to repeat the feats of Ederson in the league game between these two clubs, miscontrolled in his six-yard area, allowing Sadio Mane to pounce.

Mane beat Steffen with a crisp volley at the end of a superb Liverpool build-up to put Jurgen Klopp's side in complete command at the break but Jack Grealish pulled one back early in the second half and keeper Alisson twice saved crucially from Gabriel Jesus as this semi-final sprang to life.

Bernardo Silva pulled another back for City at the start of a tense period of stoppage time but Liverpool survived to face either Chelsea or Crystal Palace, who meet at Wembley on Sunday, in the final on 14 May.

Liverpool on course for history

Liverpool's win keeps them in contention to make history - as no team in English football has won the league title, the two main domestic cup competitions and become champions of Europe in the same season.

This was a win built on the foundation of a first half in which their intensity and ruthlessness proved too much for City, whose revamped side looked off the pace and unable to cope with the power of Klopp's side.

Konate's power in the air saw him score his third header in his past three starts and Mane's alertness was never going to allow Steffen to get away with his hesitation as he attempted to keep possession in the six-yard area.

Ederson had the calmness and expertise to escape almost on his goal-line as Diogo Jota bore down on him during last Sunday's 2-2 draw at Etihad Stadium but Steffen showed no such expertise or composure, and paid a heavy price as he was caught.

Mane led the Liverpool charge while Thiago was imperious in midfield, his clever pass allowing Mane to volley past Steffen at his near post in the closing moments of the first half for what eventually proved to be the winner.

Klopp was elated with his team's performance at the conclusion, although he will have concerns about how they allowed City back into the game through Grealish's goal, conceded two clear chances to Jesus then had to survive the anxiety of four minutes of stoppage time after Silva struck.

In the final reckoning, however, Liverpool deserved to reach the final and will present a formidable barrier to either Chelsea or Crystal Palace once the winner of the second semi-final is decided.

More to follow.

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Manchester City

  1. Squad number13Player nameSteffen

  2. Squad number27Player nameJoão Cancelo

  3. Squad number5Player nameStones

  4. Squad number6Player nameAké

  5. Squad number11Player nameZinchenko

  6. Squad number20Player nameBernardo Silva

  7. Squad number25Player nameFernandinho

  8. Squad number47Player nameFoden

  9. Squad number9Player nameGabriel Jesus

  10. Squad number10Player nameGrealish

  11. Squad number7Player nameSterling

  1. Squad number26Player nameMahrez

Liverpool

  1. Squad number1Player nameAlisson

  2. Squad number66Player nameAlexander-Arnold

  3. Squad number5Player nameKonaté

  4. Squad number4Player namevan Dijk

  5. Squad number26Player nameRobertson

  6. Squad number8Player nameKeïta

  7. Squad number3Player nameFabinho

  8. Squad number6Player nameThiago Alcántara

  9. Squad number11Player nameMohamed Salah

  10. Squad number10Player nameMané

  11. Squad number23Player nameDíaz

  1. Squad number9Player nameRoberto Firmino

  2. Squad number14Player nameHenderson

  3. Squad number17Player nameJones

  4. Squad number20Player nameDiogo Jota

Line-ups

Man City

Formation 4-3-3

  • 13Steffen
  • 27Cancelo
  • 5Stones
  • 6Aké
  • 11Zinchenko
  • 20Bernardo Silva
  • 25FernandinhoBooked at 57mins
  • 47Foden
  • 9Gabriel JesusBooked at 27minsSubstituted forMahrezat 83'minutes
  • 10Grealish
  • 7Sterling

Substitutes

  • 3Rúben Dias
  • 8Gündogan
  • 14Laporte
  • 16Rodri
  • 17De Bruyne
  • 26Mahrez
  • 31Ederson
  • 48Delap
  • 90Lavia

Liverpool

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Alisson
  • 66Alexander-Arnold
  • 5Konaté
  • 4van Dijk
  • 26Robertson
  • 8KeïtaBooked at 48minsSubstituted forHendersonat 73'minutes
  • 3FabinhoBooked at 37mins
  • 6Thiago AlcántaraSubstituted forJonesat 87'minutes
  • 11Salah
  • 10ManéBooked at 61minsSubstituted forJotaat 85'minutes
  • 23DíazSubstituted forFirminoat 85'minutes

Substitutes

  • 7Milner
  • 9Firmino
  • 12Gomez
  • 14Henderson
  • 17Jones
  • 20Jota
  • 21Tsimikas
  • 32Matip
  • 62Kelleher

Live Text

  1. Match ends, Manchester City 2, Liverpool 3.

  2. Second Half ends, Manchester City 2, Liverpool 3.

  3. Foul by Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).

  4. Zack Steffen (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  5. Attempt saved. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

  6. Attempt missed. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Roberto Firmino following a fast break.

  7. Attempt saved. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jack Grealish.

  8. Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Diogo Jota.

  9. Attempt blocked. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.

  10. Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Virgil van Dijk.

  11. Attempt blocked. Fernandinho (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Nathan Aké with a headed pass.

  12. Goal! Manchester City 2, Liverpool 3. Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner.

  13. Attempt saved. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Phil Foden.

  14. Substitution, Liverpool. Curtis Jones replaces Thiago.

  15. Foul by Andrew Robertson (Liverpool).

  16. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  17. Attempt saved. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

  18. Substitution, Liverpool. Roberto Firmino replaces Luis Díaz.

  19. Substitution, Liverpool. Diogo Jota replaces Sadio Mané.

  20. Attempt missed. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner from a direct free kick.

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