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Manchester City plotted a nervy course into the Carabao Cup final against Aston Villa after losing 1-0 on the night to Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium for a 3-2 aggregate victory, although the occasion was marred by trouble in the stands.
Television footage showed a couple of City fans making aeroplane gestures at their United counterparts – a reference to the Munich air disaster – while seats were ripped up and thrown in the away enclosure after the full-time whistle. City said they would look at the CCTV footage to identify the supporters guilty of the Munich taunts and the managers of both clubs condemned the incidents.
They came 24 hours after the house of the United executive chairman, Ed Woodward, was attacked by hooligans with flares and fireworks. “I didn’t know it but if that happened tonight, it’s not nice,” Pep Guardiola, the City manager, said. “I don’t like it. I didn’t like what happened with Ed Woodward [on Tuesday]. I’m sure you see the United team is really good. That’s not the way to do it.”
The United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, said: “I’ve just got to stand behind Pep [and agree]. Football is a game we should all enjoy – spectators, the ones playing. We want rivalry but keep it at a sane level. Let’s make sure we eradicate this now. We want to make this a nice game.”
On the attack on Woodward’s house, Solskjær added: “I’ve got to say that everyone at the club is disgusted with what happened. Our fans are passionate but opinions can be voiced in different ways. I’ve said it before – we have to stick together and stay united.”
City hogged 61% of the ball and had the vast majority of the chances but they could not kill off their rivals, who had Nemanja Matic, the goalscorer, sent off in the 76th minute for a second bookable offence. Solskjær, who complained that City had made tactical fouls to stop his team from breaking, described the decision as a “joke”.
He added: “It’s ironic, really, that he gets a yellow card for his first foul and almost gets a yellow on his second, which isn’t even a foul. Yes, the last one was a yellow but how many times did they foul us?”
The City midfielder, Kevin De Bruyne, said: “I can’t really comprehend how we lost this game. For me, Manchester United didn’t have one chance today. In the end, it’s good we go through.”
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