MAN CITY 2, BRISTOL CITY 1
Sergio Aguero came off the bench to score a dramatic injury-time winner as Manchester City take a slender 2-1 lead to Ashton Gate for the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Bristol City.
City certainly needed one of their big guns to overcome a Bristol side that had already beaten four Premier League games in the knockout.
It was cruel on Lee Johnson’s Championship club that produced a heroic display and even spent 11 minutes either side of the break holding the lead through a Bobby Reid penalty.
City equalised through Kevin De Bruyne and had to summon Aguero and Kyle Walker in the latter stages in an effort to conjure a winner.
City manager Pep Guardiola was pleased with his side’s display, but also lavished praise on Johnson’s side.
He said: “The performance was good, really good. It was a beautiful game, but all credit to Bristol. They cannot have knocked out four Premier League teams without being a well organised team with nice players.
“These games are dangerous and complicated and qualification was not going to be finished tonight.
“It will be tough in Bristol as it was against Huddersfield last season in the FA Cup and here against Wolves in the Carabao Cup. I should imagine Cardiff will be the same if they win their cup replay.”
Guardiola added the experience of playing a two-legged game will stand the team in good stead for similar games in the Champions League.
“It is good experience as it is like that in the Champions League when you will not always dominate 180 minutes. But after falling behind you saw we reacted with character and personality.”
Johnson thought it was cruel to lose to an injury-time goal, but could not fault his players.
He said: “The world has seen what Bristol City is about and the players have enhanced their reputations.
“I am proud of not only my players, but the football club and we are still in the tie as it is only half time.
“We have done as well as many Premier League teams have done here, and even better than most and the return will be an interesting game.”
City fielded many of their big guns, the likes of De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and John Stones, a measure of how seriously they were treating the game.
And they had the likes of Aguero, Fernandinho, Kyle Walker and Ederson Moraes in reserve on the bench.
Bristol made eight changes from their FA Cup defeat at Watford as they brought back all their marquee players.
The Championship club made a confident and assured start in which they were barely troubled.
Indeed, it took City until the 15th minute before they carved out their first chance when Bernardo Silva’s deflected shot looped narrowly over.
Bristol left-back Joe Bryan joined the attack and a decent shot from just outside the box forced a diving save from Claudio Bravo.
Sterling set up Silva who rolled a shot harmlessly wide as City struggled to get into a rhythm.
Bristol keeper Frank Fielding made his first save in the 25th minute athletically turning over an angled shot from De Bruyne.
Fielding then had to save with his legs to keep out an angled shot from Sane.
Bravo had to be alert to keep out a low, long-range shot from Marlon Pack as Bristol were giving as good as they got.
Ilkay Gundogan had a decent shot deflected narrowly wide for a corner.
City were stunned as Bristol took the lead on the stroke of half time.
Eliaquim Mangala was robbed by Josh Brownhill who released Reid who broke into the box only to be brought down by Stones’ sliding tackle.
Reid stepped forward to score from the spot, his 14th goal of the season.
But Bristol were indebted to Aden Flint in stoppage time as he made a heroic headed goalline clearance to keep out a chip over Fielding by Sterling.
City had a great chance to equalise six minutes after the restart when Silva released Sterling who raced into the box but saw his shot blocked by Fielding.
The equaliser arrived in the 55th minute and was down to the brilliance of De Bruyne who carried the ball 40 yards from midfield. He played the ball out to Sterling who cut the ball back from the right for De Bruyne to rifle home from 12 yards.
Fielding prevented City from taking the lead after 69 minutes making an important block to deny Sterling’s shot from six yards and that was soon followed by Sane rolling a shot a couple of feet wide.
Guardiola made his first change with 20 minutes left when Yaya Toure made way for Aguero as City looked to build a lead to take to Ashton Gate for the return.
Kyle Walker was the second City changes with nine minutes left when he took over from Oleksandr Zinchenko.
De Bruyne went close in the 87th minute firing narrowly wide.
Bristol were also looking to regain the lead and a shot from substitute Liam Walsh rippled the side netting.
City finally scored a winner in the second of three minutes of added time.
Silva crossed from the right and Aguero got to the ball in front of Fielding to head home from six yards, a cruel blow after Bristol had contributed so much to an enthralling game.