Good evening! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for tonight's
EFL Cup semi-final first leg between
Manchester United and
Manchester City at Old Trafford!
Major cup semi-finals need no extra buildup, but the fact that this is a derby and comes exactly a month after United stunned City at the Etihad in the Premier League has only added to the intrigue surrounding this contest. Man City have been the EFL Cup kings in recent years and are favourites to lift the trophy for a third season in a row this term, but United have already shown that they have the tools to beat them and were the last team to do so in this competition.
Kickoff is just five minutes away, so let's have a quick look at the team news...
MANCHESTER UNITED STARTING XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Jones, Lindelof, Williams; Fred, Pereira; Lingard, Greenwood, James; Rashford
SUBS: Romero, Dalot, Matic, Chong, Gomes, Martial, Mata
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Bravo; Walker, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Mendy; Rodrigo, Gundogan, Mahrez; De Bruyne,
Bernardo Silva; Sterling
SUBS: Ederson, Jesus, Aguero, Silva, Cancelo, Foden, E Garcia
KICKOFF: Here we go then! Manchester City, the holders of this competition, get us underway at Old Trafford!
Incredible pace from Man City as they launch a blistering attack which starts from their own goalline. Walker latches on to a Bernardo pass and plays it back inside to the Man Utd box, but the hosts eventually deal with the danger. That was an early ominous attack, though.
United give playing out from the back a go as well, although De Gea is eventually forced to go longer. Both teams look determined to play football tonight, though.
Good defending from Wan-Bissaka as he deals with a low pass from Sterling, and moments later Lindelof cuts out another cross to give Man City the game's first corner.
United have their first real chance to break at pace following good work from Fred, releasing Rashford. The captain for the night exchanges passes with Greenwood before racing past Otamendi and putting a low cross into the box which Fernandinho does really well to clear inside his own six-yard box.
Both teams are pressing energetically and looking to get forward at pace every time they get the ball at the moment - the opening 10 minutes have been played at a frenetic pace.
Greenwood knocks the ball down to Rashford, who tries to take the ball past Fernandinho but sees the Brazilian get a crucial touch on it. Anything other than a perfect challenge then and it would have been a penalty or a clear chance for United!
A good, prolonged spell of possession for Man City here as they stroke the ball around inside the United half. The hosts' defence is good, though, and the holders are eventually forced back as the noise in Old Trafford continues to grow.
Man City have edged the possession with 57% in this opening 15 minutes, with United beginning to look for that counter-attack which did so much damage at the Etihad a month ago.
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 0-1 MANCHESTER CITY (BERNARDO SILVA)
© Reuters
GOAL! Oh my word, what a goal this is! Bernardo Silva has broken the deadlock in style with a bolt from the blue!
City's possession didn't seem to be going anywhere quickly until De Bruyne and Walker picked up the pace, with the latter passing it inside for Bernardo. The Portuguese midfielder is not closed down and proceeds to hammer a 25-yard rocket right into the top corner, leaving De Gea no chance.
It is a stunning strike!
Claudio Bravo comes hurtling out of his goal and needs Otamendi to hold of Daniel James to get to the ball unimpeded. It wasn't entirely convincing from the keeper, but the correct decision in the end.
That Bernardo strike was the only shot of any real note in this opening 20 minutes, but what a shot it was. It has to be special to beat De Gea from there, but the United keeper had no chance whatsoever.
This time Mahrez is allowed to cut onto his left foot and he slaloms his way to the edge of the box, turning down the chance for one shot before seeing his eventual effort blocked.
Concern for Man City here as Bernardo goes down under the sliding challenge of Lingard and stays down, immediately gesturing to the bench. The replay shows that it was his head which hit the knee of Jones painfully, forcing his neck back too, but he should be fine to continue.
CHANCE! Big chance for Man City to double their lead as Walker exchanges passes with De Bruyne to advance down the right, and he is left with all the time in the world to pick out his pass. He finds Sterling, whose first effort is blocked by Lindelof before his second is thwarted by Jones.
CHANCE! Big chance for Man City to double their lead as Walker exchanges passes with De Bruyne to advance down the right, and he is left with all the time in the world to pick out his pass. He finds Sterling, whose first effort is blocked by Lindelof before his second is thwarted by Jones.
Man City have seen 70% of the ball in the last 10 minutes. They have taken complete control of the game, with United so far unable to offer the same sort of counter-attacking threat which served them so well at the Etihad.
United just cannot get hold of the ball at the moment. Any time they do gain possession they lose it shortly afterwards, and that is preventing them from getting any sort of foothold in the game right now.
Whenever United have threatened to get forward, Fernandinho has been there to cut it out. His positioning has been excellent so far.
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 0-2 MANCHESTER CITY (RIYAD MAHREZ)
GOAL! Man City capitalise on their dominance with a second goal, and it is far, far too easy for them to do so.
Bernardo is the creator this time with a perfectly threaded through-ball which releases Mahrez, who takes the ball around a committed De Gea before slotting it into the empty net.
It was a great pass and a composed finish, but it was all so easy for them to execute.
YELLOW CARD! Lingard is the first name in the book for tonight's derby with a rash challenge on Fernandinho.
CHANCE! Half a chance for United as Greenwood sees an attempted flick bounce back to him, but he snatches at the loose ball and drags it well wide of the target.
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 0-3 MANCHESTER CITY (ANDREAS PEREIRA, OWN GOAL)
GOAL! That could well be game over and tie over before half time in the first leg.
City are brutal on the counter-attack as well, with Mahrez being released through the middle. Williams does really well to get back and get something on the ball, but that only diverts it into the path of De Bruyne, who sends Jones for a hotdog before being denied by De Gea.
The ball then bounces across goal and hits Pereira before bobbling into the empty net, leaving City with a three-goal advantage already.
CHANCE! United get away with another one here as Sterling slides a pass through to Bernardo, who is denied by De Gea and the offside flag. The replay shows that he was in fact onside, though, and so had that gone in then it would have counted.
CHANCE! My word, this could be anything if it continues like this. De Bruyne sends a trademark peach of a cross into the box and Sterling simply has to score at the back post, but he skews his effort wide. VAR might have had something to say had he buried it, but he really should have scored.
CHANCE! Another golden chance goes begging for Sterling as Man City slice through United all too easily once more! This time a low ball is played into the box for Sterling, who has a yard of space but completely misses his kick!
SHOT! Pereira tries his luck at the other end with a long-range strike which flies well off target.
There will be one minute of added time at the end of this one-sided half.
HALF TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 0-3 MANCHESTER CITY
Wow. Just 45 minutes into this two-legged tie and it may well be over, with Man City scoring three times at Old Trafford and it could have been more.
Pep Guardiola's side have been ruthless and, should they carry this on, this could be six or seven by the end of play. United have to do something as they were utterly outclassed in that opening 45 minutes.
The opener arrived after 17 minutes, and it came in style with the first shot of any note from either side.
Bernardo Silva cut inside onto his stronger foot and unleashed a stunning strike into the top corner, leaving David de Gea absolutely no chance in the United goal.
Man City's dominance only grew as the first half wore on, and they deserved their second goal shortly after the half-hour mark when Bernardo turned provider with an incisive through-ball for Mahrez.
De Gea came rushing out of his goal but never had any hope of making it first, allowing Mahrez to take the ball around the keeper and slot it easily into an empty net.
Number three arrived just five minutes later as
Andreas Pereira put the ball into his own net at the end of a blistering Man City counter-attack.
De Bruyne skinned Jones all ends up to leave the United defender embarrassed on the floor, and while his effort was then well saved by De Gea, the ball rebounded off the shins of Pereira and bobbled over the line.
MANCHESTER DERBY PICTURE GALLERY!
It has been a remarkable contest already, and there is plenty more to come too. You can follow all of the action via alternative means with our picture gallery of tonight's game by clicking here.
KICKOFF: Manchester United get us back underway at Old Trafford, and it is no surprise to see a change from the hosts at the break as Nemanja Matic replaces Lingard.
SHOT! Better from United as they exchange some quick passes in and around the City box, eventually resulting in Williams getting a shot away. It is a very tame strike, though, and couldn't be easier for Bravo to gather.
United are caught in a bit of limbo now - do they go for damage limitation knowing that this scoreline almost certainly rules them out of a place in the final with the second leg at the Etihad to come, or do they risk attacking Man City more and potentially being on the end of an even bigger beating.
This Man City team are no exactly one to show mercy, and they won't if they get the same sort of space in this second half as they did in the first. United have to be a lot better just to avoid not conceding more in this second half, yet alone to get back into the game.
YELLOW CARD! Fred picks up a yellow card for a trip from behind.
OFF THE POST! Mendy lifts a pass out to Mahrez, who takes it down inside the box and tries to beat De Gea from an almost impossible angle, thumping his effort against the outside of the post.
Man City are starting to ping it about confidently and sharply again now, which spells trouble for United. The visitors are in no mood to let up here.
United are just beginning to dive into a few reckless challenges now as their frustration continues to grow. Do not be surprised to see the card count grow in this second half!
The difference between these two sides in possession right now is starling. The United midfielders and defenders never look as though they have any idea of where to go, and no-one to pass to, whereas for City there are always at least two or three options.
YELLOW CARD! This is about as clear a yellow card as you will see as Rodri goes into the book for a cynical challenge on Pereira.
SHOT! Rashford goes for goal from the resulting free kick, but he doesn't get his usual dip on it as it flies over the crossbar.
MAN UTD SUB: A second change from the hosts as Angel Gomes replaces James.
United have been better in this second half, but there has still been barely anything for Bravo to do in the Man City goal.
In fairness to the hosts, they have shown a bit more character in this second half, if only to avoid an embarrassment against their local rivals. Man City have taken their foot off the pedal a little, though.
CHANCE! Lovely play from Mahrez as he squares up Williams and goes onto his right, when most were expecting him to cut back onto his left. He hammers a low strike towards goal, but De Gea makes a fine save with his feet.
GOAL! MANCHESTER UNITED 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY (MARCUS RASHFORD)
GOAL! Now then! Could that goal be the catalyst for United to drag themselves back into this tie, if not necessarily the game?
It is sloppy from City as they give the ball away, allowed Gomes to nip in. His interception takes the ball to Greenwood, who in turn lays it into the path of Rashford. The striker's first touch is perfect to take Otamendi out of the equation, and he duly slides his finish into the bottom corner.
CHANCE! Sterling almost restore their three-goal lead immediately as Sterling races to the byline before cutting inside a chipping a pass to Mahrez, whose volley is straight at De Gea.
YELLOW CARD! Brandon Williams gets an overdue yellow card for clattering into Mahrez when going for a header.
There is immediate concern for De Bruyne here as he goes down heavily and initially looks as though he has been knocked out. Mike Dean frantically waves for medical assistance, but De Bruyne is at least moving so hopefully it is nothing too serious.
Just over 10 minutes left in this tie as De Bruyne trudges off, seemingly for good. United have done much better in this second half, but will it be enough if it stays like this?
MAN CITY SUB: De Bruyne does indeed come off, but the good news is that he looks fine and that this is only a precaution. On comes Gabriel Jesus in his place.
MAN UTD SUB: United make their final change as Anthony Martial replaces Greenwood.
YELLOW CARD! Kyle Walker goes into the book for time wasting over a throw-in.
A second goal for United in these closing stages would make things very interesting - not just for the remainder of this game but also for the second leg at the Etihad later this month.
Phil Jones chases Mahrez back and, fair play to him, deals with the danger despite seemingly suffering from cramp. United have used all three subs already so he will have to hobble through the rest of this game.
MAN CITY SUB: Another change for the visitors as Mahrez is replaced by Phil Foden.
SAVE! Rashford turns and lets fly from range, getting dip on the ball which makes it too hot for Bravo to handle as he fumbles it behind for a corner.
There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match.
A game of two halves for United - they will be much prouder of this second-half display and they have won the second 45 here, but the damage had been done at that stage. You cannot afford to only turn up for 45 minutes against this Man City team.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 1-3 MANCHESTER CITY
There goes the full-time whistle as Manchester City take a giant stride towards yet another EFL Cup final with a 3-1 win over local rivals Manchester United in the first leg of their semi-final at Old Trafford!
The damage was done in the first half as a blitz from City swept United aside, with Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez on the scoresheet before an own goal from Andreas Pereira compounded the home side's misery.
United did improve after the break, though, and pulled a goal back through Marcus Rashford which gives them a glimmer of hope at the Etihad.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's EFL Cup semi-final first leg between Manchester United and Manchester City as the visitors put one foot in the final with a 3-1 triumph at Old Trafford. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
