Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP)

Manchester City qualified for the final of the English League Cup on Wednesday despite their defeat (1-0) at home in the semi-final return against their neighbor United, dominated but passed all ready for the feat.

In the final, on March 1, City will find Aston Villa, in bad shape in the league (16th) but who left Leicester (1-1, 2-1)

With a 3-1 loss to Old Trafford in the first leg, the Red Devils needed a success by two goals apart, whatever the score, since the away goals rule does not apply, to at least snatch a penalty shootout.

Already winning the Etihad championship (2-1) on December 1, in a match where they had shaken up the Bleu Ciel for the first 45 minutes, the men of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were this time cornered on their goal during much of the match.

Without an excellent performance from David De Gea, the suspense would have been quickly exhausted.

The Spanish doorman responded from the 7th minute on a diving head from Sergio Agüero and a few seconds later, with a foot, from a shot from Riyad Mahrez.

Three minutes later he relaxed again magnificently towards his left skylight to prevent the Argentinian from scoring his 10th goal in a Mancunian derby, which would have placed him just a notch behind the record holder Wayne Rooney (11).

- Unrealistic Citizens -

But the Citizens have also driven their coach Pep Guardiola crazy on the bench by their search for the "extra pass", like David Silva in the 73rd, or by their way of unnecessarily complicating life, like this face-to-face where Raheem Sterling preferred to try to dribble De Gea, before looking for a shot angle and finally sending the ball fairly clearly above the bar (58th).

United did not go there by four ways. Unable to be dangerous, he took advantage of a kick badly repelled and a superb recovery from Nemanja Matic to make up half of his delay (1-0, 35th) on his first shot on target and even his first short shot.

The expulsion of the Serb a quarter of an hour from the end practically sounded the end of the mad hopes of United who impatiently awaits the imminent signing of the Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Portugal for 55 million euros plus 25 million bonus.

This performance not exciting, but which will have made it possible to believe it to the end, will it be enough to put a little balm in the hearts of the supporters, a handful of which launched Tuesday night flares and wrote graffiti on the walls of Vice President Ed Woodward's house?

Not sure. It is in any case one of the last opportunities to win a flying trophy, leaving only the Europa League as a possibility and a qualification for the Champions League always possible in the league.

For City, this is the first trophy that is approaching. Holding the title of the two national cups, he will make a point of decorating his window a little more in just over a month at Wembley.

© 2020 AFP