Liverpool 3-2 Man City: Reds reach first FA Cup Final in a decade

FA Cup Semi-Final
Saturday 16 April 2022 - 3:30 pm
Wembley
Liverpool3
2Man City
Show Match Events
⚽️ Konaté9'
⚽️ Mane17'
27' Jesus
Fabinho37'
⚽️ Mane45'
47'⚽️ Grealish
Keïta48'
57' Luiz Roza
Mane61'
Keïta off, Henderson on ↔️73'
83'↔️ Jesus off, Mahrez on
Mane off, Firmino on ↔️85'
Diaz off, Jota on ↔️85'
Alcantara off, Jones on ↔️87'
90'⚽️ Silva
Hide Match Events

Liverpool knocked Man City out of the FA Cup and booked their place in their first FA Cup Final for 10 years.

Fresh from knocking Benfica out of the Champions League, it was a quick return to another cup competition for Liverpool - with Jurgen Klopp making seven changes to the team that started at Anfield on Wednesday.

Luis Diaz, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah were selected as the starting front men, and they set off on a blistering opening 45 minutes against the current Champions.

The reds were first to almost every ball and were celebrating inside 10 minutes when Ibrahima Konate scored yet another important goal for the reds - heading in from Andy Robertson's corner.

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Konaté, Robertson, Fabinho, Alcantara, Keïta, Diaz, Mane, Salah

Subs: Kelleher, Minamino, Gomez, Tsimikas, Matip, Firmino, Henderson, Jones, Jota

Advantage Liverpool, and it was extended further soon.  City keeper Zack Steffen dwelled on the ball too long from a backpass and was hunted down by Sadio Mane who trapped the player just off his goalline and forced the ball over the line.

A humiliating episode for the keeper who was taunted for the rest of the game by the Liverpool fans whenever he received the ball.

Just before half time Liverpool effectively ended the game with some world class football.  A move that started with Luis Diaz bearing down on goal ended with the reds recycling the ball around the Man City area before Thiago found Sadio Mane to score his second.  It was exquisite.

Most neutrals will have accepted the job was done and Liverpool's players probably came out in the second half with the same attitude.  Not long from the kick off Man City had grabbed one back when Jack Grealish was left unmarked at the far post.

But City's threat didn't grow from this point and Liverpool eventually swallowed up most of the second half possession too.  Both Mo Salah and substitute Firmino had gilt edged chances to add to the scoreline.

In the 90th minute City grabbed a second back, with a fortunate ball by Mahrez played through the legs of Alisson allowing Bernardo Silva to poke the ball in.

Despite the narrow scoreline this was a relatively dominant victory between European football's two best side.

Delight for Klopp at the final whistle who after 5 years at the club finally has a squad big enough to compete on all fronts.  And oh, how they are trying it all in style this season.

MOTM: Sadio Mane - a welcome return to form for the Senegalese star.

Leave a Reply

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.