Bristol: Manchester City reached the League Cup final, shattering second-tier Bristol City’s hopes of a remarkable upset, as the Premier League leaders survived a late fightback to win 3-2, here Tuesday and clinch the tie 5-3 on aggregate.
City appeared to be cruising when goals from Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero either side of half time put them three goals up overall, after a 2-1 win in the first leg, before their plucky opponents dragged themselves back into the game.
Marlon Pack reduced the arrears for the hosts past the hour and Aden Flint scored deep into added on time to make it 2-2 on the night, leaving them one goal short of forcing extra time.
There was time for one more goal, but sadly for the second-tier side, it was scored by the visitors’ Kevin De Bruyne in the sixth minute of added time, leaving Pep Guardiola’s team to face Arsenal or Chelsea in the final, February 25.
“We are so happy to be in the final. We played amazing in the first half,” Spaniard Guardiola said after reaching his first final with the club. “After we lost control, maybe it will be good for us… to learn that anything can happen and you have to play for 90 minutes.”
If there was a hint of complacency about Manchester City in the first leg, it seemed to have been drummed out of them by kick-off Tuesday as they tightened the screw from the first minute.
They barely gave the hosts a kick in the first half, hitting the woodwork from an Aguero cross and seeing a John Stones header drift just wide before Sane gave them the lead.
Aguero doubled the lead on the night four minutes after the break with a pin-point finish from De Bruyne’s perfect pass to end a lethal counter attack from the visitors.
