Manchester City continues to have in its power to sign a historic season. Pep Guardiola’s men finished off Sheffield United and will contest the FA Cup final thanks to the hat-trick of an exceptional Riyad Mahrez. An attacker who demonstrated the depth and level of the squad that the Catalan coach has, since despite not being a regular starter, he has plenty of quality to determine the match against the ‘citizen’ side.
Real Madrid’s rival in the Champions League semifinal continues with the dream route towards the treble after the victory against the Championship team at the mythical Wembley and dreams of the comeback to reach Arsenal in the Premier League leadership , against which they will meet next Wednesday to reduce the five points of difference, with two games less, that separate them from the ‘gunners’.
City will play the first FA Cup final in recent years. The other three previous seasons were left at the gates, always eliminated in this round of the tournament. Although of course, now they have a depth of squad that is the envy of Europe and with the odd differential factor like Erling Haaland, the almost perfect striker. The Norwegian, who almost disappeared in the game against Sheffield, is in an excellent moment and is capable of signing 48 goals in 42 games in his first season with the club.
Guardiola did not reserve anything and came out with a very offensive eleven. Of course, as expected, many rotations. Haaland and Julián Álvarez, attacking duo, while behind Laporte and Walker started the match. This eleven will hardly resemble the one that Real Madrid will face in the first duel for a place in the Champions League final on May 9 at the Santiago Bernabéu. Ederson, Rúben Dias, Stones, Rodri, De Bruyne and Foden started on the bench, while Sergio Gómez replaced Aké in defence.
The Championship team -which has practically tied up promotion to the Premier League- began daringly to play one-on-one against Manchester City, which was looking for an active Grealish in the early stages while Guardiola’s men managed to gain possession of the ball with Mahrez, Bernardo Silva and Gündogan as conductors. Ndiaye, at the center of Norwood, tested Ortega, attentive in the brilliant start of the Yorkshire club.
Territorial control, possession after half an hour was 80% for the ‘Sky Blues’, did not translate into a greater number of occasions. The light blues accumulated corners, who had all their players, except the goalkeeper, in the opposite field, moving from one side to the other without making shots that endangered the goalkeeper Foderingham. The wall woven by Sheffield United meant up to eight players defending on the inside, something that ended up being counterproductive for Paul Heckingbottom’s men when they committed a penalty in one of Bernardo Silva’s runs. Mahrez, and not Haaland, opened the can from eleven meters.
A safe block in defense
City continued to handle the ball calmly, which continued to bottle up their rival in the area. There were no more resources left for Guardiola’s men than shots from the front and crosses to nobody, since Haaland was well observed by all the rojiblancos. They were so attentive to the Norwegian that his unchecking left a corridor for Mahrez, who added the double in a good definition against Foderingham. The City smelt of blood, patiently following the planned script, and in another long play Grealish arrived to give it, once again, to Mahrez, who achieved a hat-trick.
The level of Guardiola’s team is so great that the Algerian, who does not usually start, put his team in the final with three goals. After the sentence, Haaland left the field, which on Wednesday will be key against Arsenal. The news is that he left without marking.
Guardiola’s men have won their five games played towards the FA Cup final, scoring 17 goals and still not conceding.
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