O’Reilly Strikes Twice as City Overcome Plymouth to Reach FA Cup Quarterfinals
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Synopsis
On March 2, Nico O’Reilly scored two goals to lead Manchester City to a 3-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle in the fifth round of the FA Cup, securing their quarterfinal spot for the seventh consecutive season.
Key Takeaways
- Nico O’Reilly scored two goals for City.
- The match ended 3-1 in favor of Manchester City.
- City advanced to the FA Cup quarterfinals for the seventh year in a row.
- Kevin De Bruyne contributed with a late goal.
- City faced challenges against a well-organized Plymouth defense.
Manchester, March 2 (NationPress) Nico O’Reilly netted two goals as Manchester City rallied from behind to triumph over Plymouth Argyle with a score of 3-1 in the fifth round of the FA Cup, securing their place in the quarterfinals for the seventh consecutive year.
Captain Kevin De Bruyne sealed the victory by tapping in the third goal as the match approached stoppage time.
O’Reilly’s stellar performance marked his second and third goals in senior football for City, following his debut goal against Salford City in January.
City nearly took the lead after 28 minutes when Ilkay Gundogan struck the post with a curling shot after receiving a cross from Jack Grealish.
Despite being on the defensive for much of the first half, the Championship side took the lead ten minutes later when Maksym Talovierov, a Ukrainian defender, scored with a header off a corner taken by Matthew Sorinola.
Last year’s finalists leveled the score in first-half stoppage time when the 19-year-old Nico O’Reilly connected with a free-kick from Kevin De Bruyne, sending a glancing header past Conor Hazard.
After halftime, Pep Guardiola’s team pushed for another goal, coming close in the 75th minute when Erling Haaland had his shot saved by Hazard, with Bernado Silva unable to convert the rebound.
However, O’Reilly put the hosts ahead a minute later with his second header of the match, responding to a corner from Phil Foden.
De Bruyne capped off the night with a third goal, meeting a pass from Haaland across the six-yard box, confirming that the seven-time winners of the tournament advanced to the quarterfinals for the seventh straight season.
“I don’t underestimate the challenge of facing a well-organized team. I was not surprised by their performance against Liverpool. It was challenging to compete against them due to their strong defensive setup. I appreciate how well we performed in many aspects,” Guardiola remarked after the match.
“Every step is an improvement. Many positive things occurred. Jack played excellently. Vitor performed well. All the players did, including Nico. We maintained a lot of possession with patience since they aimed for quick transitions. I am very pleased with the overall performance,” he concluded.
