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Manchester City to face Chelsea in Carabao Cup final on Sunday
Last updated: 20/02/19 23:22
Leroy Sane equalized, Manchester City defeated Schalke
Manchester City showed his strength in depth as he came back to beat Schalke. Is the quadruple now possible?
A low goal and a man in a tumultuous atmosphere in Gelsenkirchen, the progress of the Manchester City Champions League should really have been suspended. Instead, the goals of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling mean that their place in the last eight is fully badured and that the prospect of this quadruple absurd continues to be important.
Do not get me wrong, it was the kind of party where weaker teams would have lost confidence. The decision to sanction handball against Nicolas Otamendi was particularly severe. The second penalty seemed offside. Then came the red card for the Argentine defender. This is when a team can get involved, the feeling of injustice provoking indiscipline.
But City was calm enough to see that. There was a maturity out there, seemingly confident enough to know that even a one-goal loss would not be near the limit of their chances of coming back to Etihad Stadium. Slowly but surely, things turned in their favor and it was Schalke who made the costly mistakes at the other end. A 3-2 win puts them under total control.
The quality of the city is not in doubt, but after this last victory, the idea of melting is that the depth of their strength is what really allows the impossible to feel possible for Pep Guardiola's team. The prodigious Sane free kick was that of an elite performer, but even on his return to his former club, he had been denied a place in the training.
Sterling knocks Schalke
Raheem Sterling scored a winning goal at the last minute when Manchester City defeated Schalke.
Entering the field in the 78th minute was all the time he needed to make a dramatic impact. These are the options that Guardiola has at his disposal. When Otamendi made that yellow card foul in the middle of the second half, the coach was able to turn to club captain Vincent Kompany to stabilize the back.
Gabriel Jesus was not fit enough to make the trip and that left Sergio Aguero as the only available striker. But Sterling has the qualities to play this role now and when Aguero, the scorer of the first goal, was removed, it is he who took over. His calm finish, capitalizing on Bastian Oczipka's mistake, reflected his improvement in front of goal.
4:10 Key stats for the Carabao Cup final between Chelsea and Man City
Guardiola did not even need Riyad Mahrez, the club's signature. He is in double digits for goals this season but remains an unused substitute on this occasion. The city can do that when they have four players who scored more than him. The same can be said of Phil Foden, who scored twice against Newport last time, but stayed on the bench here.
One or both could turn around for the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday, while City's embarrbading riches could mean another embarrbadment for Maurizio Sarri. Then come three Premier League matches they will have to win to keep up the pressure on Liverpool. But despite all Guardiola's attempts to minimize it, the quad is activated.
Chelsea vs Man City
February 24, 2019, at 3.30 pm
Live of 
Carabao Cup
After beating Chelsea 6-0 at Etihad Stadium earlier this month, City is declared a favorite at Wembley. Sarri's men followed that defeat with another in front of their home fans at Manchester United, so confidence in their side is low. This is a great opportunity for Guardiola to create a dynamic with a trophy comeback.
first league
Cities are more likely to win the Premier League title, but Sky Bet remains their favorite to retain their title in May. The next two home games are against West Ham and Watford, with a trip to Bournemouth in between. Given that Liverpool must face his two biggest rivals in the meantime, City could very quickly be the favorite.
Champions League
The return leg against Schalke will still be held mid-March, but it would be a major shock if City did not make it to the quarterfinals for a second consecutive season under Guardiola. The Catalan coach has always been adamant about the fact that there is a lot of luck in this competition, but Sky Bet makes him the 11/4 favorite to win it anyway.
FA Cup
After Schalke, there is a trip to Swansea to face the Sky Bet championship in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. City has already beaten Rotherham, Burnley and Newport in this competition and few players will support the swans to stop City from getting to Wembley. With United, the only other team in the top six remaining, she is already ready for the trophy.
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