MIDDLESBROUGH 0, MAN CITY 2
Manchester City’s Emirates FA Cup, quarter-final victory at Middlesbrough was a stroll in the park.
Pep Guardiola’s side would have won by a far more emphatic margin but for a fine goalkeeping display by No 2 Brad Guzan.
The American prevented a landslide margin after making a string of fabulous saves.
In the end they were happy with goals from David Silva and Sergio Aguero as they booked their Wembley place for the semis.
But you only had to look at the stats to see City’s dominance – 69-per-cent possession, 18 goal attempts to Boro’s nine with 10 on target to Boro’s three as they kept a fifth clean sheet in the last seven games.
It was also sweet revenge for City who were knocked out of the FA Cup by Boro on their own patch in January 2015.
Indeed, before this City victory, Boro had won four of the previous five meetings in the knockout.
Guardiola’s only qualm was that his side didn’t win by a larger scoreline describing Guzan’s performance as “amazing”.
He said: “We would have liked to see more goals, but we are delighted to be at Wembley.
“We deserved it over the four games, three against Premier League and Huddersfield who are at the top of the Championship.”
Guardiola added it was clear from the start his side’s determination to play at Wembley in the semis.
He spoke of his own “excitement” at the prospect of leading his team out in the semi finals.
City made five changes from the side that started Wednesday’s drab goalless draw against Stoke City.
Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, defenders Pablo Zabaleta, and midfielders Silva and Raheem Sterling all won recalls.
The players to make way were Willy Caballero, Bacary Sagna, Aleksandar Kolarov, Fernandinho and Jesus Navas.
Boro had four different players from the side that started in last Saturday’s defeat at Stoke City, though George Friend and Daniel Ayala were ruled out through injury.
Little over two minutes had been played before City made the all-important breakthrough through Silva.
Yaya Toure released Zabaleta on the right of the box and he squad the ball. Sterling failed to connect and the ball ran invitingly to Silva who steered a show low to the left of Guzan for his sixth of the season.
Boro, completely outplayed in the opening stages, almost equalised midway through the opening period.
Cristian Stuani’s header from Grant Leadbitter’s corner was only half saved by Bravo with Zabaleta, covering on the goalline, completing the clearance.
Then from the resulting corner Rudy Gestede’s header looped on to the roof of the net.
The chances served as a warning to City that Boro could not be dismissed lightly.
Boro were forced to make a change mid half when Gestede limped off to be replaced by former City striker Alvaro Negredo.
City had chances to increase their lead, notably when Leroy Sana failed to connect properly in front of goal from a low Sterling cross from the right.
Another great chance fell to Boro when Stuani’s header from Marten De Roon’s cross forced a diving save from Bravo.
Though City had two thirds of first-half possession, both sides carved out five goal attempts as it was far from the runaway victory that looked on the cards little over two minutes into the match.
City had three chances early in the second period to double their lead.
The first was a near carbon copy of their goal as Sterling failed to connect with a Kevin de Bruyne cross and Silva blazed over rather than find the net.
Aguero then met a Sterling cross only to see it strike the far upright before bouncing just beyond the onrushing Silva.
Zabaleta then curled an effort just wide of the upright as City looked to get the job completed.
Guzan later had to deflect an angled shot from Sane behind for a corner as City remained in control.
And the keeper pulled off an even better save minutes later to turn Silva’s shot round the post for a corner.
Guzan made another stupendous stop, this time to turn Silva’s drive from outside the box, round the post for a corner.
It seemed only a matter of time before City scored a second, and it duly arrived in the 67th minute when Sane’s cross from the left was clinically put away by Aguero from six yards, his 24th of the season and sixth in the last five games.
City made their first change with 20 minutes left when Sane was replaced by Nolito.
City had the ball in the net fo a third time when Aguero’s shot was spilled by Guzan but Sterling, who slotted in the loose ball, had strayed offside.
Silva was denied yet again by Guzan as City maintained a vice-like grip on the game.
Boro had a great chance to halve the deficit with 13 minutes left when a header from Fabio da Silva was partially saved by Bravo with Stone, covering on the goalline, completing the clearance.
Guzan prevented a third goal, diving low to his left to deny Sterling whose shot was goalbound.