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| Erling Haaland |
Manchester City dominated Liverpool 4-0 in a 2025-2026 FA Cup quarterfinal at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on April 4 (KST).
The victory booked City’s spot in the semifinals for the eighth consecutive year and effectively ended Liverpool’s bid for silverware this season.
Liverpool had early opportunities but failed to take them. In the 11th minute, Hugo Ekitike’s shot from outside the box went narrowly wide, and his effort in the 27th minute sailed over the bar.
City opened the scoring in the 37th minute. After slick play inside the box, O'Riley drew a foul from Virgil van Dijk and won a penalty.
Haaland stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty into the net.
City extended the lead before halftime. In two minutes of first-half stoppage, Semenyo ripped through Liverpool’s right side and delivered a dangerous cross; Haaland met it with a header to make it 2-0 at the break.
City seized control early in the second half. Five minutes after the restart, Cherki threaded a through pass to the onrushing Semenyo, who lobbed a left-footed finish into the net.
Haaland put the result beyond doubt in the 12th minute of the second half. Doku slipped a through ball to O'Riley on the left inside the box; O'Riley cut it back to Haaland, who finished calmly to complete his hat-trick.
Liverpool had a late lifeline but could not take it. In the 29th minute, Ekitike won a spot-kick in the box after drawing a foul from Núñez, giving Liverpool a chance from the penalty spot.
But Mohamed Salah’s left-footed penalty was read perfectly by the City goalkeeper and was kept out.
Liverpool never found the net, and the match finished as a comprehensive 4-0 win for Manchester City.
[Sports Today reporter Kang Tae-gu sports@stoo.com]
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