By Joiner Martínez
A comeback on the hour mark sealed Manchester Metropolis’s place in the FA Cup final this Saturday at Wembleyafter overcoming Southampton’s initial goal with goals from Nico González and Jérémy Doku in the second half.
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The team led by Pep Guardiola, which has already won the Carabao Cup and is looking forward to the Premier League, is thus pursuing the national treble in a season that keeps it absolutely dominant in England.
With this classification, the Ciudadanos became the first English team to play in four consecutive finals of the oldest club tournament in the world, as highlighted by the club through its official channels.
Furthermore, it marks the 34th time that Guardiola has reached the decisive match in his career, a record that, when those played as a footballer are added, rises to 44.
Had to come back against Southampton
The first half ended goalless after constant pressure from Manchester Metropolis and a solid defense from Southampton, which did not hesitate to advance lines and maintain balance in midfield. Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden came close to opening the scoring for Guardiola’s team, but the lack of precision and defensive interventions prevented the score from moving during the initial forty-five minutes.
Southampton’s defensive organization was important for much of the match, bottling up a Metropolis team that, despite territorial dominance and technical quality, found few cracks in the first half. The Manchester team did not feel comfortable facing the brave approach of the Saints, who had Leo Scienza as one of the main generators of danger.
The surprise came in the 79th minute when Finn Azaz put the Saints ahead with a powerful shot that beat goalkeeper James Trafford.
However, that blow found a quick response when the Belgian Doku equalized in the 82nd minute by entering from the right and firing a shot that deflected off a defender, leaving goalkeeper Daniel Peretz with no options.
Metropolis’ pressure on the rival area increased from that moment on. The team besieged the Southampton defense until, after several attempts and missed chances, Nico found the opportunity from outside the area. The 24-year-old Spanish midfielder launched a powerful shot into the corner that unleashed the euphoria of the Skyblue fans and practically sealed the fate of the match when he touched the net and established the 2-1 score, in the 87th minute, just five minutes after the partial 1-1.
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