Liverpool reached the FA Cup final for the first time under Klopp thanks to a disastrous first-half appearance at Wembley, where the Reds led 3-0 at halftime thanks to a double by Sadio Mane and a header by Ibrahima Konate. City were released from the shackles of Liverpool after the break. Jack Grealish reduced the deficit within seconds of restarting before Bernardo Silva’s late shot created a tense finale, but Klopp’s side advantage proved insurmountable as the Reds kept their effort for an incredible one. “I think it was [one of our best performances]”That was the feeling I felt when I saw the first half because of the quality of the opponent. Image: Jürgen Klopp celebrates Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City at Wembley Stadium “We did all the right things, we scored at the right moments, we played an incredible game in the first half, I have to say. I liked every second. “Denying them in so many moments is as difficult as creating your own chances against them. The first half was great in almost every part of the game. In the second half they scored a goal early, as we did. [at the Etihad]and then opened the game. No footballer on the planet is safe against City with a 3-1 lead, it is always clear what he can do. We needed Allison, what a game he had, but we also had our moments and we could have decided the game earlier. We did not do it, but that made the game even more special, the 3-2 was a fair result and it was good enough to bring us to the final “. Picture: Liverpool’s Santo Mane, right, celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal
Klopp downgrades the “incredible” opportunities fourfold
Saturday’s triumph at Wembley kept Liverpool’s quest for an unprecedented four-pointer well under way, ending City’s hopes for a three-pointer of their own. With the League Cup already in the backpack, a place in the FA Cup final secured, a Champions League semi-final clash with Villarreal closed and with just one point between them and City at the top of the Premier League, Liverpool could produce a finale like no other this season, but Klopp was willing to downgrade his chances. Tuesday 19 April 19:00 Start 20:00 “You can mention it as many times as you want, it does not make it more likely,” he replied when asked about Liverpool’s fourfold hopes. “A game like today shows even more how unlikely it is. “Moving against City is incredibly difficult and intense, and in three days we will play again against Manchester United. It will be in the spotlight, and historically not a friendly game. “A few days later we face Everton, this will not be a friendly game. Then we face Villarreal, which will not be friendly. After Newcastle. It is incredibly intense and it is really unlikely that the team will win all the games. “We came here, we wanted to go to the final, we knew about the problems, but with the quadruple, qualifying for such a final makes it even more difficult. It’s the only way to do it, but it does it’s It’s a weird situation, but we’re over the moon. “We beat the strongest football team in the world and this is a very special moment.”
Guardiola defends Stefan: “It was an accident”
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Pep Guardiola is considering his side’s 3-2 defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup, having fallen 3-0 at halftime. Pep Guardiola jumped in the defense of Jacques Stephen after his mistake that gave Liverpool its second goal. The goalkeeper, who was selected in front of Anderson at Wembley, was kicked by the ball from a back of John Stones shortly after the opening of Konate, allowing Mane to put the ball into the net. “It was an accident,” Guardiola told the BBC after the match. “One of the strengths is that you try to play [out] and as a keeper it has this property. “It was an accident and he will learn about the future. When the ball is there, it can always happen. I have spoken to the team, not to him personally, but it is possible.” Image: Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen looks on as a mistake leads Liverpool’s Sadio Mane to score Liverpool’s second goal Guardiola had a very changed team after Kevin de Bruyne and Kyle Walker suffered injuries against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday and claimed that Riyad Mahrez and Rodrigo were the only players on the bench who were really fit enough to fit in. “When you play a lot of games and keep doing it, situations like this can always happen,” he told a news conference. “The game in Madrid was very difficult for us. We tried to put energy in the team, but sometimes the opponent is good. “In the second half we found a goal, which helped us a lot with our momentum. They continued to play at a good level, but we had opportunities and the game was there.”
What happens next?
Manchester City welcomes Brighton to the Premier League on Wednesday at 20:00, while Liverpool welcomes Manchester United on Tuesday at 20:00 – live in the Sky Sports Premier League. The FA Cup final will take place on May 14, with Liverpool facing the winner of the other semi-final between Chelsea and Crystal Palace.
