Salah and Firmino send Liverpool into last four

Trailing 3-0 from the first-leg, City manager Pep Guardiola had said his team needed to produce a “perfect game” at the Etihad Stadium if it was to achieve a famous comeback and for 45 minutes it was not far off that level. 

Yet, it was Liverpool whose approach turned out to be perfect in the circumstances as it followed up some staunch first-half defending to level through Salah in the 56th minute and seal the tie through Firmino 13 minutes from fulltime, clinching its third win against City this season.

Gabriel Jesus had scored for the host after two minutes to fuel the home fans with hope and Guardiola’s side had then launched wave after wave of attacks to pin Liverpool back. Yet, after Bernardo Silva hit the post in the 40th minute and Leroy Sane had an effort ruled out for a disputed offside two minutes later, City had just the solitary goal to show for its first-half exertions.

After a glorious attacking display in the first leg, Liverpool did exactly what it had to do in Manchester and deservedly took its place in the semi-finals. City can look back with some pride though on their first-half performance. It needed an early goal to set the mood and they got exactly that.

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk gave the ball away and Fernandinho played a superb pass to Raheem Sterling on the right who slipped the ball across to Jesus to slot home. Fired-up by that breakthrough and with the crowd roaring it on, City was first to every ball, applying constant pressure on the Liverpool defence while Juergen Klopp’s side was unable to earn some respite.

Kevin De Bruyne tested Loris Karius with a low drive in the 27th minute and the home side had an appeal for a penalty turned down when former Liverpool forward Sterling went down in the box with Andy Robertson’s arms around him. Yet for all the pressure, Liverpool’s defence held firm and City was unable to create another clear-cut chance until the 40th minute when Bernardo Silva cut in from the right and his fierce left-foot drive crashed off the post.