Guardiola’s team is approaching the Treble by winning the English cup: the German midfielder starred, scoring after 14 seconds and then in the second half. Momentary equalizer by Fernandes from a penalty, the Red Devils’ crossbar in the 92nd minute
@dchinellato
Two out of three. In the sign of Ilkay Gündogan, the captain who scored twice, City completes the second leg towards the treble by taking 2-1 at Wembley in the first ever Manchester derby which is worth the FA Cup. And now they aim for Istanbul, the final of Champions League against Inter next Saturday, to enter the legend. The cup victory, the second of the Guardiola era after that of 2019, is more than deserved, because the English champions controlled from start to finish, even without playing one of their best games. United, point after 12″ from the fastest goal ever in a final of the historic English cup and returned to the game in the 33rd minute with a penalty from Fernandes, ends with this defeat what will remain the season of their rebirth, one that Ten Hag however, he would have preferred to cap it off with the victory of the second cup of the season and the idea of having prevented his rivals from running for the treble, which was only achieved in English football by Ferguson’s United in the 1999 version.
THE KEYS
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Gündogan is the hero of this new City triumph. Not only because he lifts the FA Cup, received from the hands of Prince William, as he did two weeks ago with the Premier League trophy, but for the amazing brace with which he put De Gea first at the start of the match and then in the prologue of the second half. The captain plays with elegance and awareness, always manages to do the right thing and is also in excellent form under the goal. It was Kevin De Bruyne who inspired him, brilliant in his plays and impeccable like John Stones, devastating in the middle of the field. With Haaland well restrained by Varane and Lindelöf, the central pair of the Red Devils, City struggled especially after the 1-1 draw to find outlets in attack. But he always controlled, even when in the half hour of the first half the referee conceded the penalty after a visit to the monitor, which Fernandes converted into a momentary equalizer. That was United’s most dangerous moment, put in a crisis in attack as well as by the absences from the null game of Eriksen and Sancho and by the difficulties that Rashford found playing as a central reference. The team changed when after an hour Ten Hag asked for help from the unpredictability of Garnacho, United’s best, but it wasn’t enough to prevent City from the second Premier-FA Cup pairing in their history after that of 2019. And now the head goes to the Champions League, to that cup that is missing from the showcase of this extraordinary dynasty.
THE MATCH
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There were just 12 seconds on the clock at Wembley when Gündogan’s superb volley slipped past De Gea, shocking United and their supporters. City controlled the game, they had at least three chances to double up, but in the 33rd minute they conceded the equalizer from Fernandes on a penalty, granted by the referee for a questionable hand by Grealish, seen by the Var, on a header by Wan-Bissaka. It starts again from 1-1, but in the 51st minute Gündogan unlocks it again, this time with a left-footed volley that from the edge of the ball shoots into the near post. Ten Hag played the Garnacho card, who in the 72nd minute sent a splendid right-footed shot wide. City remained in control of the game, even if they trembled when Varane hit the crossbar in the 92nd minute. But when the referee blows his whistle three times, it’s the Wembley blue side that explodes with joy: because City have won another trophy, this time in the derby against United. And because the triple mission continues. Inter in Istanbul next Saturday will be the last obstacle.
June 3, 2023 (change June 3, 2023 | 18:11)
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