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sportsexaminer 25

City Drawn Against United In Real And Barca Play IRISH
Carabao Cup Manchester Derby
Manchester
City will need Out First Goalless EXAMINER
to beat rivals
M a n c h e s t e r
United over Clásico In 17 Years |
two legs if they
are to defend
the Carabao arcelona maintained concerns, both teams had wise from Karim Benzema’s December
Cup trophy this their slender advan- shared the same hotel before header.
season. Btage over arch-rivals the match. Real maintained their high
City and Real Madrid at the top of Thousands of peaceful energy levels at the start of 25th,
United, who beat their neighbors in the Premier League on LaLiga after El Clásico campaigners protested near- the second period as they
December 7, were paired together in the semi-final draw. ended goalless for the by earlier in the afternoon continued to hog possession 2019
The other last-four clash is also a derby, with Leicester tak- first time in 17 years. and throughout the build-up and quickly won the ball back
ing on midlands rivals Aston Villa. Gareth Bale had a second- to the game, while a display when they lost it.
City have won the trophy in three of the last four seasons, half effort ruled out for off- of Catalonia’s red and yellow Despite all Real’s posses-
with United not making the showpiece of this competition side by VAR at the Nou colors filled one side of the sion, Messi threatened but
since 2017, when they left it late to beat Southampton. Camp, while Barcelona’s best stadium at kick-off. failed to control Antoine
Leicester have reached the semis for the first time in 19 chance fell to Jordi Alba in A cagey opening in a Griezmann’s ball inside the
years, when they went on to beat Tranmere in the final, while the first period but he fired volatile atmosphere ensued. area and then Bale flashed a
Villa were last at this stage in 2013, losing to Bradford. wide. Bale was back in Real’s start- rising shot just off target at
The first legs will be played in the week beginning January Barca remain top on goal ing line-up, while Ivan the other end.
6, with the return fixtures taking place three weeks later. difference from Real, who Rakitic replaced Sergio Bale thought he had bro-
On drawing rivals City in the last four, United boss Ole dominated a game that had Busquets in Barcelona’s mid- ken the deadlock in the 72nd
Gunnar Solskjaer told Sky Sports: “We always want to win tro- been postponed in October field. minute, but VAR ruled
phies and we want to win games. due to safety fears surround- Real’s Zinedine Zidane Ferland Mendy was fraction-
“We’ve got a nice little draw coming up so it’ll be exciting ing the violent protests in will have been the happier ally offside before delivering
times coming up. Catalonia. manager at half-time after his his pin-point low cross.
“I don’t think anything is written in the stars. We just work Concerns the game would side dominated the opening Frenkie De Jong’s long-
hard and you take what you get and you do the best out of it. be disrupted failed to materi- 45 minutes. range effort failed to trouble
We’ve shown before we can do well against City.” C alize, save for yellow balls But Alba volleyed the best Real goalkeeper Thibaut
hurled on to the pitch by chance of the first half wide Courtois and Luis Suarez
Everton Appoint Carlo Ancelotti As Manager Catalan independence sup- for Barca four minutes before blazed high and wide from
inside the area.
porters in the second half.
the break following Lionel
Everton have With more protests Messi’s brilliant chipped pass. The game entered the final
appointed Carlo planned by Catalan cam- Real skipper Sergio Ramos 10 minutes on a knife-edge,
Ancelotti as their new paigners there was increased cleared off the goal-line as but chances were still hard to
manager on a four-and- security all around the stadi- Casemiro attempted to come by in both areas and as
a-half-year deal. um and helicopters buzzed thwart Messi in the box, the clock ticked down neither
The 60-year-old overhead before kick-off. while Barca defender Gerard side was prepared to risk
Italian replaces Marco Such were the security Pique had earlier done like- charging forward. C
Silva, who was sacked
earlier this month, and
becomes Everton’s
fourth permanent boss
since the departure of
Roberto Martinez in
May 2016.
Ancelotti told
Everton’s website:
“This is a great club
with a rich history and a very passionate fan base. There is a
clear vision from the owner and the board to deliver success
and trophies.
“That is something that appeals to me as a manager and I am
thrilled at the prospect of being able to work with everybody at
the club to help make that vision a reality.
“I have seen from the performances in the last two weeks
that the players are capable of so much. The work Duncan
(Ferguson) has done is a great credit to him.
“Strong organization, strong discipline and the right motiva-
tion are some of the key ingredients in football and I’m pleased
that he will be part of my backroom team moving forward.”
Ancelotti is a three-time Champions League winner with
former clubs AC Milan (twice) and Real Madrid and his arrival
at Goodison Park is a major coup for the Merseysiders.
He won the Premier League and FA Cup double with
Chelsea in 2010 and also won the Ligue 1 title with Paris St
Germain in 2013. C