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Manchester City v Reading - live!

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FA Cup Quarter-Final

Manchester City 0
Reading 0

• Jacob Steinberg
• guardian.co.uk, Sunday 13 March 2011 15.45 GMT <li class="history">Article history To receive updated content, refresh the page (F5 for a web browser).
  This page will update automatically every minute: On | Off
  
  
  Unleash the grass! Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian 50 min: McAnuff curls a low cross in from the left and Kompany, for no apparent reason, comically slices an easy clearance behind for a Reading area. The corner is poor though.
  49 min: "Looks like the 'tippy tappy' didn't play out here," says Paul Taylor. "Obviously the defenders have found a way to break through the pass-pass-pass routine; perhaps Arsenal et al. could learn from this how to break Barcelona. (Or is that a bit optimistic?)." A bit optimistic. Substitute Xaviesta, Busquets, Messi and so on for Silva, De Jong and Wright-Phillips.
  47 min: Harte blocks Wright-Phillips' cross behind for a corner on the right. Kolarov whips it in and at the near post, Long, attempting to hold off Toure, glances a header inadvertently towards his own goal and is grateful to see Tabb, standing by the left post, clear off the line! Andy Gray would have appreciated that.
  46 min: We're back. If Reading fans want any omens in their favour, I've got a couple. I covered their win over Everton in the last round and also saw them win 2-0 at City in 2007. Leroy Lita got both goals late on. Just look at the City team that day: Weaver (Isaksson 35)l Richards, Dunne, Distin, Trabelsi; Beasley, Dabo (Hamann 48), Barton, Irelandl Samaras (Sturridge 74), Vassell. Subs not used: Jihai, Corradi. What's more, check out who's in the middle. Famous friends.
  Half-time emails.
  "Do you reckon Rooney will end up at City in the summer?" asks meTom Shaw. "Reports in one of the tabs this morning reckon all is not sweetness and light between him and The Big Man anymore and he wouldn't be missed very much. I could see both clubs thinking they'd got a bargain, Man U the 100 million and City the player." I doubt it. They're not exactly short on strikers. Plus he was excellent yesterday. It was his best performance for ages.
  "Robbie Savage is all over the media these days isn't he?" says Gary Naylor. "Mind you, we are desperately short of pundits whose answer to everything is, "They need to show some PASSION". That's what got Robbie all those medals I suppose." Miaow. When asked for his view on Sebastien Squillaci when he signed for Arsenal, Savage opined that he had a funny name.
  
  

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

• Sport
• Football
• FA Cup

Manchester City v Reading - live!

• Turn on our auto-refresh tool for the latest updates
• Email jacob.steinberg.casual@guardian.co.uk here
• Click here to find out the latest scores today
• Follow Jacob on Twitter, if that's your thing

• Min-by-min
• Match facts
• Ratings

FA Cup Quarter-Final

Manchester City 0
Reading 0

• Jacob Steinberg
• guardian.co.uk, Sunday 13 March 2011 15.45 GMT <li class="history">Article history To receive updated content, refresh the page (F5 for a web browser).
  This page will update automatically every minute: On | Off
  
  
  Unleash the grass! Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian 50 min: McAnuff curls a low cross in from the left and Kompany, for no apparent reason, comically slices an easy clearance behind for a Reading area. The corner is poor though.
  49 min: "Looks like the 'tippy tappy' didn't play out here," says Paul Taylor. "Obviously the defenders have found a way to break through the pass-pass-pass routine; perhaps Arsenal et al. could learn from this how to break Barcelona. (Or is that a bit optimistic?)." A bit optimistic. Substitute Xaviesta, Busquets, Messi and so on for Silva, De Jong and Wright-Phillips.
  47 min: Harte blocks Wright-Phillips' cross behind for a corner on the right. Kolarov whips it in and at the near post, Long, attempting to hold off Toure, glances a header inadvertently towards his own goal and is grateful to see Tabb, standing by the left post, clear off the line! Andy Gray would have appreciated that.
  46 min: We're back. If Reading fans want any omens in their favour, I've got a couple. I covered their win over Everton in the last round and also saw them win 2-0 at City in 2007. Leroy Lita got both goals late on. Just look at the City team that day: Weaver (Isaksson 35)l Richards, Dunne, Distin, Trabelsi; Beasley, Dabo (Hamann 48), Barton, Irelandl Samaras (Sturridge 74), Vassell. Subs not used: Jihai, Corradi. What's more, check out who's in the middle. Famous friends.
  Half-time emails.
  "Do you reckon Rooney will end up at City in the summer?" asks meTom Shaw. "Reports in one of the tabs this morning reckon all is not sweetness and light between him and The Big Man anymore and he wouldn't be missed very much. I could see both clubs thinking they'd got a bargain, Man U the 100 million and City the player." I doubt it. They're not exactly short on strikers. Plus he was excellent yesterday. It was his best performance for ages.
  "Robbie Savage is all over the media these days isn't he?" says Gary Naylor. "Mind you, we are desperately short of pundits whose answer to everything is, "They need to show some PASSION". That's what got Robbie all those medals I suppose." Miaow. When asked for his view on Sebastien Squillaci when he signed for Arsenal, Savage opined that he had a funny name.

 

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Benzema earns Mourinho praise


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Updated Mar 13, 2011 7:27 AM ET
Jose Mourinho lauded Karim Benzema as doing "better than ever" after seeing him continue his rich vein of goalscoring form against Hercules.
Benzema struck both goals in Real Madrid's 2-0 win at the Bernabeu to help Madrid provisionally move to within four points of Primera Division pacesetters Barcelona, who play Sevilla on Saturday evening.

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It was the third successive match in which Benzema has scored a brace and he has now struck eight times in his last six appearances, which is comfortably his best spell of form since he joined Madrid.
The 23-year-old has come under the spotlight after struggling to justify the £30million Madrid paid Lyon for his services in the summer of 2009, but the France international now looks to finally be proving his worth.
Mourinho said of Benzema, who now has 19 goals in all competitions this season: "Benzema is better than ever. He is doing things he's never done before.
"Benzema is happy and we are happy with him. It's very good to have Karim in these games in which our main goalscorers, (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Gonzalo) Higuain, are out because recently he has scored four goals and got us six important points.
"I like it to be difficult for me to choose a player when they're all playing at such a high level."
Benzema is now hoping to continue his scoring streak against his former club Lyon on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie - a match Ronaldo should be fit to return for.
Madrid, who have been knocked out at this stage in each of the last six seasons, drew the first leg in France 1-1 with Benzema getting the goal.
"Thanks to Mourinho I want to score and I want to run more. I feel much better than before," said Benzema.
"I want to score against Lyon. It will be a difficult game, we are 90 minutes away from the quarter-finals of the Champions League and I'm convinced we will defeat Lyon."
Benzema also insists his side's title challenge is still on, adding on his club's website: "Hopefully Barca can lose (against Sevilla). We are four points behind them and let's see if they slip up and we stay within this distance because we are working hard to win every game. The championship isn't over."



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• Report Abuse marcbarca
  
  • 3/13/2011 12:59:39 PM
  This is what Karim needs. Some confidence will go a long way for him. Hopefullly, he'll build up enough confidence in the coach so that he's not immediately relegated to the bench when Higuain shows up.
  

 

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Mourinho glad of Perez support


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Updated Mar 13, 2011 7:12 AM ET
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has welcomed club president Florentino Perez's words of support for him.
In response to Mourinho's complaints about the league scheduling for Madrid matches, Perez said earlier on Saturday that the Portuguese was 'defending the club'.

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Perez said: "Defending Real Madrid from what we believe to be unjust, irregular and arbitrary is the Madrid way, and this is precisely what our coach, Jose Mourinho, does."
When asked about those comments following Saturday's 2-0 home win over Hercules, Mourinho said: "I've not heard what the president said, because I don't read or watch anything on match days in order to stay focused, but if it's like I've been told, it could be an important speech for the future.
"If we are all together, and we feel the same difficulties, problems and injustices, we will surely be stronger."
He added: "A great club needs a great coach, but the great coaches are only that if they have a great club behind them.
"And to have the support of the president is very important for me."
Madrid's victory over Hercules saw them provisionally cut Barcelona's lead at the top of the Primera Division summit to four points, with the Catalan side playing Sevilla on Sunday night.
Mourinho praised his side for their performance and also said two-goal hero Karim Benzema was "better than ever".
He said: "I'm very happy with the team, although I didn't like the first half much. Games preceding and following Champions League encounters are always difficult to play.
"In the second half we were better and Hercules had less of the ball."
The triumph was also the ideal way to warm up for Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second leg against Lyon, where Madrid will be attempting to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in seven seasons.
Madrid are favourites after drawing the first leg 1-1 but Lyon knocked out the Spanish giants at the same stage last season and Mourinho is taking nothing for granted.
He said: "Every game you don't win is a tough blow, and there are many of those throughout a coach's career.
"You obviously can't always win or get through to semi-finals.
"Lyon are a very good team with experience and tradition in the Champions League. On Wednesday we are going to have a difficult game and we must be at our best.
"We can play with 11 men or with 12, and this 12th man is the Bernabeu. Over there Lyon played with 12 because their stadium, although small, was with their team. With the public's support we will be stronger."

 

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Menotti hospitalized in Buenos Aires

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Updated Mar 13, 2011 12:24 PM ET
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)

Cesar Luis Menotti, who coached Argentina to the 1978 World Cup title, has been admitted to a Buenos Aires and is reported to be suffering from a lung infection.
Hospital Italiano in Buenos Aires confirmed his presence Sunday but declined to give details.
Know as ''El Flaco'' - the thin one - the 72-year-old Menotti coached Argentina to its first World Cup title, a tournament played at home in Argentina.
Menotti has also coached some of Europe's best-known clubs including Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sampdoria. In Argentina he coached the country's two most famous clubs - Boca Juniors and River Plate - plus a half-dozen more including clubs in Uruguay and Mexico.
Menotti's last job was as sporting director of Argentine club Independiente, a postiton he left late last year.
A heavy smoker, Menotti received various get-well messages from players including Atletico Madrid forward Sergio Aguero, who wrote on his Twitter account: ''My best wishes for the recovery of Flaco Menotti, who is in intensive care with a lung infection.''
Argentina's state-run news agency Telam said Menotti entered the hospital on Saturday ''with breathing problems'' and reported he had a lung infection.

 

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Torres will come good - Harris


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Updated Mar 13, 2011 8:15 AM ET
13/03/2011 10:01 +0100

Carlo Ancelotti's team selection for Chelsea's Champions League return leg against the Danes is set to reveal much about the Italian's likely approach to what is left of the season. With the Blues leading the last-16 clash 2-0 and all but assured of a quarter-final spot, Ancelotti can afford to tinker in all sorts of ways on Wednesday night. Under normal circumstances, the game would present an ideal opportunity for the Chelsea boss to rest players ahead of a crunch Premier League match against Manchester City four days later. However, having maintained that the nine-point gap - with a game in hand - to leaders Manchester United is still "too big", Ancelotti may decide there are more important considerations on Wednesday than simply keeping players fresh. Chief among those is helping Torres remove the millstone around his neck of not having scored since his £50million move from Liverpool. Copenhagen proved little more than target practice for Torres in the first leg three weeks ago and, although his aim was awry, everything suggests the Danes will give him plenty of chances to put that right this week. Whether he breaks his duck on Wednesday or not, Stamford Bridge legend Harris has no doubt Torres will eventually come good. "He's been a little bit unfortunate. He could've scored two or three goals," Harris said. "I don't think it'll be too long before he finds the back of the net." Harris believes "a sloppy goal, a penalty or a deflection" will be enough to spark Torres into goalscoring form on Wednesday. He added: "If they were two- or three-nil up with a few minutes to go and got a penalty, maybe Frank Lampard would allow him to take the penalty." While getting Torres scoring is doubtless important, Ancelotti may feel it is even more vital for the Spaniard to improve his problematic partnership with Didier Drogba. The pair have struggled to strike up an understanding in the two games they have started together, with Ancelotti eventually forced to substitute one of them. Conversely, Torres and Nicolas Anelka looked extremely effective in the first leg against Copenhagen and it may be that their manager decides sticking with them for the rest of the season will give Chelsea the best chance of ending their stuttering campaign with some silverware. Harris has no doubt Anelka is the right man for the Champions League at the moment. "If you look at his track record in European ties this year, he's done ever so well," he said of the Frenchman, who has netted seven goals in his six appearances in the competition this term. "Of the games I've seen, the best strike force seems to be Torres and Anelka." Harris believes Ancelotti should play his strongest side on Wednesday as he feels retaining the Premier League is now beyond Chelsea. But the former Blues defender is confident they are more than capable of winning the Champions League, having seemingly put their mid-season slump behind them. "They've got players coming back now who were either injured or not playing particularly well," he said. "When you look now, you can see people like Drogba, (Florent) Malouda, (John) Obi Mikel on the bench. It looks a squad that much better." Harris even believes Arsenal's conquerors Barcelona are not invincible, with Chelsea desperately unlucky not to knock them out two seasons ago. "From what I've seen at the moment, I would think the side to miss is Barcelona," said Harris. "But, saying that, Chelsea went very close two years ago to upsetting the applecart. "The Arsenal supporters now know how Chelsea supporters felt when a Norwegian denied them about three penalties and they scored with the last kick of the game."

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Sunday, March 13, 2011​

Week 28​

Cornellá-El Prat

Expand

Espanyol​

2 : 0
Final

Deportivo La Coruna​

Match Stats | Match Trax

(62') Iván Alonso

(81') Joan Verdú
Goals

(22') Callejón

(36') Joan Verdú
Cards Míchel (26')

Pablo Álvarez (34')

Pablo Álvarez (42')

Alberto Lopo (81')

(46') Iván Alonso

Luis García

(60') Raúl Rodríguez

Juan Forlín

(88') Thievy

Joan Verdú

Substitutions Juan Domínguez (69')

Míchel

Lassad (69')

Yves Desmarets

Pepe Sand (82')

Adrián

Reyno de Navarra

Expand

Osasuna​

3 : 1
Final

Racing Santander​

Match Stats | Match Trax

(20') Sola

(24') Javad Nekounam

(50') Soriano
Goals Markus Rosenberg (52')

(35') Francisco Puñal

(66') Soriano

(75') Soriano

(90') Javad Nekounam
Cards Pedro Munitis (39')

Henrique (45')

Pinillos (49')

Markus Rosenberg (62')

(77') Krisztian Vadócz

Álvaro Cejudo

(85') Damià

Sola

(90') Calleja

Javier Camuñas

Substitutions Giovani Dos Santos (46')

Ariel

Francis (46')

Kennedy Bakircioglu

Pape Diop (71')

Mehdi Lacen

Anoeta

Expand

Real Sociedad​

0 : 2
Final

Malaga​

Match Stats | Match Trax
Goals Duda (25')

Rondón (58')

(2') Diego Rivas

(44') Dani Estrada
Cards Weligton (64')

Willy Caballero (73')

(66') Elustondo

Diego Rivas

(66') Jeffrey Sarpong

Zurutuza

(79') Agirretxe

Aranburu

Substitutions Sandro Silva (67')

Portillo

Enzo Maresca (75')

Duda

Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (84')

Sebastián Fernández

Ciutat de Valencia

Expand

Levante​

1 : 1
Final

Mallorca​

Match Stats | Match Trax

 

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Mkuu, hivi huwa unalala kweli, just trying tobe inquisitive!

 

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Manchester City v Reading - as it happened

Micah Richards scored a late header to send Manchester City into the semi-finals of the FA Cup

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FA Cup Quarter-Final

Manchester City 1

• Richards 74

Reading 0

• Jacob Steinberg
• guardian.co.uk, Sunday 13 March 2011 15.45 GMT <li class="history">Article history
  
  Unleash the grass! Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian Afternoon. You might have heard about this before. At Old Trafford, there's a banner in the Stretford End which ticks away signifying how long it's been since Manchester City last won a trophy. 1976! It's a drought that would put Elijah to shame and it's about time City did something about it. Their Arab riches have transformed them beyond all recognition since 2008, but still, the suspicion remains that they don't belong among the elite. Not yet, anyway. In a way, winning the FA Cup is slightly overrated. It's a day out, something for supporters to cherish, but you don't actually get anything for lifting the trophy. There's no Champions League football at the end of it, so for City, this is hardly the overriding priority. And yet, as David Brent once said, money don't make my world go round. Money can buy you brand new players and attract a shiny new Italian manager, but it can't change a mentality at a club.
  Ultimately City, unlike their neighbours still have the whiff of losers, harsh as that may be. They're inconsistent, they've been known to brawl on the training ground, and while it's not the most pressing of issues, they have a footballer who revealed an allergy to grass last Thursday. Chelsea were much the same until Jose Mourinho arrived. True, they already had Champions League football, but there was still an loveable, self-destructive streak coursing through the club, as demonstrated when they contrived to lose a Champions League semi-final to Monaco in 2004. When Mourinho arrived at the end of that season, he made sure he won a trophy as soon as possible. It was only the Carling Cup, but it mattered. He got it. City must hope Mancini does too.
  First, however, they have to overcome the considerable challenge Reading will set them this afternoon. They did it to Liverpool last season and they did it to Everton this season. Will City be the latest victims of a giant-killing? On the surface, Reading shouldn't have much of a chance. They are, after all, 10th in the Championship and City are third in the Premier League, but they have every reason to believe they can cause another upset here. Reading were hugely impressive against Everton, tenacious, organised and dangerous on the break. At Goodison Park, several of their players gave exemplary performances, with Alex McCarthy, Matthew Mills, Mikele Leigertwood, Jay Tabb and Shane Long all catching the eye. For Brian McDermott, the message is simple: same again please.
  Team news. Manchester City line up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with wee SWP given a rare run-out. Patrick Vieira, who has the turning time of a wardrobe, starts in midfield, while Yaya Toure, who has the strength and build of a wardrobe, will fit in behind Carlos Tevez. Edin Dzeko and Horticulture's Mario Balotelli are on the bench. As for Reading, their line up has an attacking feel to it, perhaps just as well given the defensive injuries they have.
  Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Hart; Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov; Vieira, De Jong; Wright-Phillips, Yaya Toure, Silva; Tevez. Subs: Taylor, Boyata, Barry, Razak, Balotelli, Dzeko, Jo.
  
  Reading (4-4-2): McCarthy; Karacan, Gunnarsson, Khizanishvili, Harte; Kebe, Tabb, Leigertwood, McAnuff; Long, Hunt. Subs: Andersen, Griffin, Antonio, Church, Robson-Kanu, Howard, Taylor.
  
  Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)
  Ray, Stubbs, Sam Allardyce and Robbie Savage are standing on the touchline at Eastlands. "Looking sharp, Robbie," says Stubbs. Savage nods smugly and then goes on to riff on Arsenal's pain.
  It's the dream tie we've all been dreaming of in our dreams! Bolton v Stoke City!
  Oh, and Manchester City or Reading v Manchester United.
  Mike Summerbee's back just been interviewed on ESPN. Strangely Rebecca Lowe decided not to ask him about the prospect of City playing Manchester United in the semi-final. I wonder why.
  Stubbs, Savage and Allardyce are walking round the pitch, talking and previewing the game. This is very weird. Allardyce appears to be trying very hard not to break out into a fit of giggles. They've just walked half the length of the pitch!
  A pointless pre-match interview. "What's the mood like going into the game?" Rebecca Lowe asks Brian Kidd. "Rubbish," replied Kidd. "I hate everyone here, they all smell, no one laughs at my jokes, we're not going to win, we're going to lose, Yaya Toure has been stuffing grass in Mario's face, Mario can't stop sneezing and I want to go back to Manchester United. SurAlex?" "Very good," replies Kidd.
  The teams are ushered out of the tunnel by the ubiquitous Rebecca Lowe, who has surely covered more ground than any of the players will during the match.
  1 min: Off we go then. Reading, in black shirts and red shorts, start the match, kicking from right to left. Very quickly, City get a goal-kick. It doesn't look like Reading have sold out their away allocation, a risible state of affairs.
  2 min: David Silva has just put a beach ball off the pitch. I'm surprised he was able to do that, Spaniards are usually flummoxed by those things. As you can probably tell, it's been a quiet start. Noel Hunt is down and receiving treatment after an accidental elbow to the face from Vincent Kompany. "On behalf of all West ham fans can I point out that the FA Cup is nowhere near as important as it used to be?" asks Tom Shaw. "In fact it's pants, not worth the bother. It lost it's glamour after 1980. I'm glad we are not burdened with it anymore. Sob, wail."
  4 min: Richards tries to chip the ball down the line to Wright-Phillips. McAnuff gets in the way and concedes a throw-in.
  5 min: Kompany gets himself in a mess trying to deal with a long, hooked ball over to the left from Tabb. Hunt gets there first, lobs the ball over Kompany's head and is then hauled down by the Belgian. Reading have a free-kick in an interesting position.
  6 min: Well, it would have been interesting if Harte hadn't hit the first man. But Reading stay on the attack and McAnuff does brilliantly to scoot past his marker on the left flank, reach the byline and drive a dangerous low cross towards the near post, Lescott forced to turn the ball behind with Reading attackers waiting behind. McAnuff takes the corner from the right, hitting it deep to the far post, where Kolarov heads away and is then clattered by Long's shoulder. He should be ok though.
  8 min: This has been a theme in many of City's FA Cup games this season. They haven't really got going at all - understandable, perhaps, given that they got back from Kiev at 5am on Friday morning. Tevez tries to release Kolarov down the left but completely overhits his pass, the ball rolling out for a goal-kick.
  10 min: Harte misjudges a long ball from the left with Tevez nearby and ends up conceding a needless corner with a header intended for McCarthy. The corner from the right, however, is a total waste, Kolarov whipping it straight out of play, to derisive jeers from the Reading supporters.
  12 min: City are having plenty of trouble containing McAnuff, who makes mugs of both Richards and Wright-Phillips on the left with a lovely turn of a place, quick feet and a canny drop of the shoulder. He's so unlucky here, though, his touch into the area slightly too hard, allowing De Jong to steam across, and belt a clearance away, the ball deflecting off McAnuff and out for a City goal-kick. He's an interesting character, McAnuff, someone who's never really fulfilled his potential. I remember there being plenty of excitement when he signed for West Ham in January 2003 ... he'd left by the summer. Anyway this interview is worth a read.
  14 min: "Why is that we need to cling on to some kind of misplaced sense of security that the mood in the changing room has to be one of harmony and bliss?" asks Craig Smaaskjaer. "I bet you don't like everyone at the Guardian? I know I don't like everyone at my work. Nobody does. And sometimes, more often than not, work is conducted in a crap, stress filled and loveless atmosphere. Why should footballers be any different? We should be more worried when they are all getting along just fine. Its not right, that. But anyway, tell us who you don't like at the Guardian, Jacob. Go on. No one will ever know." I hope you don't think I was making any serious comment on City's dressing room?
  16 min: The best chance of the match so far, and it falls to Reading. A cross from the right evaded everyone in City's area, but swung all the way through, eventually finding its way to McAnuff on the left corner of the area. He took his time and shifted the ball on to his right foot, before floating a delicious, inswinging cross to the far post, where Hunt headed a few yards over the bar from six yards out. It was actually a fairly difficult chance as the cross was a bit too high, meaning Hunt was on the stretch when he met the cross.
  17 min: A nasty collision between Kompany and Hunt on the left touchline goes unnoticed by Lee Probert and with a gaping hole having emerged on the right of City's defence, Long suddenly finds himself with acres of space to run into. He takes advantage of it, charging into the area, but runs out of ideas as Lescott comes across. He tries a desperately unconvincing trick to beat the defender, who's having none of it.
  19 min: A brilliant double save from Alex McCarthy keeps the scores level! Tevez found space just outside Reading's area, and slipped a fine pass through to Wright-Phillips, who'd made a great run on the overlap. From 12 yards out, Wright-Phillips cracked a fierce shot straight at McCarthy, who could only parry the ball out in front of him. Silva arrived and tried to turn the rebound in from close range, only to see his soft dab turned behind by McCarthy's knees. He took a blow to the face there, too, McCarthy - I think it was from one of his own defenders. After a brief stoppage in play, he's fine to continue and shows no ill effects at all as he rises confidently to pluck Kolarov's corner out of the sky. Just before that chance, by the way, Reading had a really lucky escape when Khzanishvilli clipped Tevez's heels in the area and was grateful to see the striker continue his run rather than go down. These diving foreigners, eh?
  23 min: "A general comment, Jacob," responds Craig Smaaskjaer. "There is nothing serious anyone can say about City's dressing room." Indeed.
  24 min: Silva is becoming more influential, and carves open the Reading defence with a sublime reverse pass into the area for Wright-Phillips, whose shot from a tight angle flies into the side netting. That was a waste. He would have needed a PHD in geometry to have scored from there. Rather than shoot, he should have waited for support to arrive from his team-mates, but that's why he's no longer in the team in the Premier League.
  26 min: This time Khizanishvilli is penalised for a foul on Tevez. Luckily, though, it's only a free-kick, 25 yards from goal.
  27 min: The free-kick is situated a few yards outside the D in a central position, but Kolarov's left-footed effort is poor and flies well over the bar. McCarthy gave it the most cursory of glances.
  28 min: "What industry is Craig Smaaskjaer in, may I ask?" says Jon. "I must cross it off my "alternative things to do when I get my cards" list. Unless he's the Balotelli of his workplace, of course." Craig?
  29 min: McCarthy made an absolutely brilliant save in the previous round to deny Everton an equaliser and he's relishing the test City are posing him today. Silva, as you'd expect, has been at the heart of all of City's best moves, and here is again, lofting a delightful pass over the top of Reading's defence for Toure to chase. Gunnarsson was haplessly playing the midfielder onside, and Toure strode through before smacking a low drive towards goal from eight yards out McCarthy blocking with his feet. A regulation save, perhaps, but a shot that could easily have crept through his legs if he'd been less careful. I forgot to mention that Kompany was booked earlier for the foul on Hunt by the way. So sue me!
  33 min: This is a case of a referee evening things up. Tevez races through the middle, before finding Silva to his right. He darts to the byline before clipping a cross towards the near post. McCarthy appears to have it covered but pats it down and Tevez steals in to shuffle the ball past the right post. And a corner is given, from which Probert gives Reading a free-kick for a fairly innocuous foul. He could have just given them the goal-kick in the first place to save us all that kerfuffle.
  35 min: Another free-kick to City, this time slightly to the left, but further away from goal...
  36 min: One for the blooper reel! Instead of shooting, Tevez dinks a fairly harmless cross into Reading's six-yard box. It's headed away to the right side of the area, where the ball falls ominously to Silva, who sets himself for the volley and then swipes at fresh air with his right foot, the ball dropping down and skewing behind off his standing foot. D'oh!
  37 min: This, however, is sheer class from Silva, who's not really a player who's made a habit of clangers like the previous entry. The ball is sprayed out to the right flank where he's waiting. His first touch is brilliant, killing the ball with his right foot as it fell out of the sky, and enough to draw Ian Harte towards him with hope of making a tackle. But as the defender advanced, Silva, quick as you like, Messi'd the ball over his head with his left foot, a wonderfully deft piece of skill, glided into the area ... and then curled a shot straight at McCarthy. Everything but the finish, but the everything but was sumptuous.
  39 min: Kolarov whelps a low cross into the six-yard box, which Khizanishvilli, facing his own goal, turns over his bar. The corner comes to nothing though.
  41 min: "Are we watching Arsenal?" bemoans Craig Burley. "Tippy tappy, tippy tappy." He's got a point. I know. Khizanishvilli makes a mess of dealing with a pass down the inside right channel and is bundled off the ball by Toure. That wasn't much of a contest. Toure cuts it back to Tevez, who's eight yards out, but the ball just gets stuck under his feet, forcing him to lay the ball back to Wright-Phillips on the edge of the area. He takes too much time and, sure enough, Reading get the ball clear easily enough in the end. "Did you invent Tom Shaw as a means of expressing your own grief?" asks Mark Gillies. "I mean, come on - his name is almost an anagram of West Ham."
  43 min: City are getting frustrated now. From miles out, Toure lines one up but his shot soars high into the crowd.
  45 min: Silva has flirted with both the sublime and the ridiculous in this half. What a one. He's done some fantastic things at times, but this isn't one of those occasions, as he wonks a hilariously dire shot around 473 yards wide of the left post from 30 yards out.
  45 min+1: There will be a minimum of two more minutes. "The Public Sector, of course," says Craig Smaaskjaer. "I'm surprised you even have to ask."
  45 min+2: Toure finds Silva on the edge of the area. He drops the shoulder and disguises a scooped pass inside Karacan which was intended for Wright-Phillips, but the accuracy isn't there and McCarthy collects.
  Peep! Peep! Lee Probert blows for half-time. Reading will be happy. City won't be happy.
  Half-time emails.
  "Do you reckon Rooney will end up at City in the summer?" asks meTom Shaw. "Reports in one of the tabs this morning reckon all is not sweetness and light between him and The Big Man anymore and he wouldn't be missed very much. I could see both clubs thinking they'd got a bargain, Man U the 100 million and City the player." I doubt it. They're not exactly short on strikers. Plus he was excellent yesterday. It was his best performance for ages.
  "Robbie Savage is all over the media these days isn't he?" says Gary Naylor. "Mind you, we are desperately short of pundits whose answer to everything is, "They need to show some PASSION". That's what got Robbie all those medals I suppose." Miaow. When asked for his view on Sebastien Squillaci when he signed for Arsenal, Savage opined that he had a funny name.
  46 min: We're back. If Reading fans want any omens in their favour, I've got a couple. I covered their win over Everton in the last round and also saw them win 2-0 at City in 2007. Leroy Lita got both goals late on. Just look at the City team that day: Weaver (Isaksson 35)l Richards, Dunne, Distin, Trabelsi; Beasley, Dabo (Hamann 48), Barton, Irelandl Samaras (Sturridge 74), Vassell. Subs not used: Jihai, Corradi. What's more, check out who's in the middle. Famous friends.
  47 min: Harte blocks Wright-Phillips' cross behind for a corner on the right. Kolarov whips it in and at the near post, Long, attempting to hold off Toure, glances a header inadvertently towards his own goal and is grateful to see Tabb, standing by the left post, clear off the line! Andy Gray would have appreciated that.
  49 min: "Looks like the 'tippy tappy' didn't play out here," says Paul Taylor. "Obviously the defenders have found a way to break through the pass-pass-pass routine; perhaps Arsenal et al. could learn from this how to break Barcelona. (Or is that a bit optimistic?)." A bit optimistic. Substitute Xaviesta, Busquets, Messi and so on for Silva, De Jong and Wright-Phillips.
  50 min: McAnuff curls a low cross in from the left and Kompany, for no apparent reason, comically slices an easy clearance behind for a Reading area. The corner is poor though.
  51 min: When they can get forward, Reading have been very menacing on the break at times. Kebe tends to be their most effective attacker and it's his fluent run which has City backtracking here. He skips inside and then slides a clever pass into the area for Hunt, who slashes an awkward shot well wide of the right post. Good defending from Lescott put him off there.
  52 min: This match is essentially worth watching for Silva alone. Once again he torments Reading, making a complete fool out of Karacan with a superbly disguised turn on the left side of the area. The bewildered Karacan is currently off having a confused walk in Stockport at the moment. Having lost his marker, Silva skims a cross into the six-yard box where Tevez arrives to backheel the ball straight at McCarthy from close range!
  53 min: Richards becomes the second City player to go into the book for a crunching tackle through the back of McAnuff.
  56 min: A disastrous mistake from Khizanishvilli, whose attempt to tackle Wright-Phillips in a crucial position is one of the lamest you'll see all year. The Georgian defender was the last man and having been beaten by Wright-Phillips, the winger is away down the right. He scampers into the area, but rather than shooting, he perhaps betrays a lack of confidence with a cutback to the edge of the area for Tevez, who seems surprised to receive the ball and scuffs a dismal, bobbling shot straight at a Reading defender. Moments later, Kolarov takes aim from the edge of the area but drags his shot well wide.
  58 min: Tevez tries his luck again but his fierce curler from 25 yards out flies past the right hand post with McCarthy rooted to the spot. I thought that was in.
  61 min: What a preposterous effort from Toure! City are targeting Karacan at every opportunity and Toure outmuscles him on the right and hits a low cross into the area. The ball comes back to him and instead of letting the ball drop out for a corner, he cracks a remarkable, swerving volley goalwards which McCarthy parries away. I'm not sure if it was going in, but still, what technique!
  62 min: Hal Robson-Kanu comes on for Jobi McAnuff, who's been carrying a hamstring injury.
  64 min: "As there is a Georgian on the pitch who is not Georgi Kinkladze, thought a reminder of him would be nice," offers Ian Copestake. Thank you, Ian, that is nice.
  65 min: Wright-Phillips tries to beat Ian Harte for pace and runs the ball straight out of play. With the best will in the world, he has no business still being at City.
  66 min: I hope Ian Wright isn't reading this. Anyway, Toure goes on another strong, bustling run down the left, doing well to win a corner off Gunnarsson. Kolarov sends it towards the penalty spot and Richards heads the ball down into the ground and up towards the top corner, forcing McCarthy to tip over. And then he catches Silva's corner from the right. He looks like a fine prospect.
  67 min: Reading give the ball away from their own throw-in and suddenly Tevez is charging at the creaking Khizanishvilli. He easily races past him and fires the ball into the six-yard box, but no City player is on hand for what would have been a simple tap-in.
  68 min: Chances at both ends. First Kebe releases Long down the inside-left channel, but under pressure from Richards, the striker's effort is weak and bobbles straight to Hart. Immediately City break at speed and Tevez looks to isolate Gunnarsson, who responds magnificently, getting his body in between Tevez and the ball and ushering it out for a goal-kick.
  69 min: Long is booked for a late rake on Vieira's ankles.
  70 min: Hang him! Mario Balotelli, on for Vieira, tries to sneak on the pitch with a snood! Whatever next?
  71 min: I mean really. Snoods. The main problem I've always had with them is that they sound like whatever this is. Warning: clip may contain stupidity.
  73 min: Kolarov doesn't look like much of a defender to me. Kebe has the beating of him every time. He's one of those defenders who doesn't do defending. Or maybe it's a homage to Ian Harte.
  GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Reading (Richards, 74 min): It was starting to look desperate for City, who were getting very niggly and frustrated, but finally they have the breakthrough they don't overly deserve. Credit must go to Balotelli who forced Gunnarsson to concede the corner that led to the goal. Silva's delivery from the left was enticing and Richards raced away from Long, rose above Khizanishvilli and absolutely thumped a header past McCarthy, the ball flying into the top left corner. McCarthy got a hand on it, but the header simply had too much power.
  77 min: Karacan stretches out a leg and gets a vital touch on another wonderful pass from Silva, just stopping it from getting through to Tevez. For Reading, Simon Church has replaced Noel Hunt.
  78 min: "Hal Robson-Kanu must be quite a physical oddity seeing as his name is a composite of a gangly two-time African footballer of the year winner, a combatative former England captain and a rogue supercomputer," parps Ian Copestake.
  79 min: This is an utter waste. Reading had a free-kick in a decent position on the right, perfect for the left foot of Ian Harte. But rather than cross it, he decided to be clever and play it to Kebe on the right. Silva came out to meet him and blocked his cross at the first time of asking.
  81 min: Balotelli, working back in his own area, smashes a wild clearance behind for a Reading corner. It'll do, I suppose. Best not ask what he was thinking of. Harte's corner is flicked on at the near post by a Reading head, but as the ball zooms across the six-yard box, City get it clear. Reading have battled manfully, but they haven't been able to create anything to be honest.
  82 min: Another chance from a set-piece for Reading. From a deep position on the left, Harte fizzes a devillish free-kick into the area, but Gunnarsson's header from ten yards out flies past the right post.
  83 min: City make another change, Gareth Barry on for Nigel de Jong. That's actually quite attacking for Mancini.
  84 min: Toure hammers a shot from 35 yards out straight at McCarthy, who holds well.
  85 min: Tevez has been in a hot funk for most of this half. A moment ago, he caught Khizanishvilli with a late tackle and now he's reacted to a tug from Kebe. Probert calms the situation down.
  86 min: Reading win another corner on the right but before they take it, Brian Howard is sent on for Tabb. Howard immediately runs across to take the corner and it's headed into the six-yard box, where Church is only stopped from turning the ball in by a combination of Hart and Kompany. Not too convincing from City there.
  89 min: It's fair to say this has been a tired performance from City after their Europa League exertions, but they won't care. At the moment, they're heading for an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.
  90 min: Tevez gets the crowd on their feet, but it's not for a piece of skill or a shot on goal - it's for a storming tackle on Harte to stop Reading building up any momentum. There will be four additional minutes.
  90 min+2: Harte crosses from the left, but Kompany heads away. Reading still have it though and are piling on the pressure now, without really attacking with too much conviction. A high ball is lofted up towards Robson-Kanu, but Richards gets above him and heads clear. Bizarrely Richards came out worse in the challenge and needed treatment.
  90 min+3: City are shutting up shop now, Wright-Phillips replaced by Dedryck Boyata.
  Peep! Peep! Peep! Lee Probert blows for full-time to end Reading's hopes of causing another shock. They were game and more than held their own, but City just had enough in the tank, although they made hard work of it. Still, now they can look forward to a semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley. What an occasion that'll be. Thanks for reading and thanks for all your emails. Bye.
  
  

 

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