Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his side hit a season low point in the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg loss to Manchester City. United were 3-0 down at the break, going on to lose 3-1, with Solskjaer saying his players’ heads dropped after Bernardo Silva’s 17th-minute opener. “From 15 minutes to half-time was the worst we have played this season,” said the United boss.
“We couldn’t cope with the setback. Now we have a steep mountain to climb.” Riyad Mahrez’s 33rd-minute second was followed by an Andreas Pereira own goal and at half-time it seemed a completely outclassed United were set for a repeat of their embarrassing 6-1 home defeat by City in 2011.
Instead, the introduction of Nemanja Matic for Jesse Lingard brought some stability to the home midfield and Marcus Rashford’s fourth goal in Manchester derbies adds at least some jeopardy over who will go on to meet Leicester or Aston Villa in the final on 29 February.
United famously overturned a two-goal deficit last season to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, overcoming a first-leg 2-0 loss to Paris St-Germain by winning 3-1 in Paris. “It’s not three points and its not done,” said Guardiola.
