- Manchester City came from behind to beat Bournemouth 2:1 and reach the FA Cup semi-finals for a seventh consecutive season
- Erling Haaland missed a penalty but later equalised before Omar Marmoush completed the turnaround
- Nico O’Reilly made a major impact off the bench with two assists in the second half
Key Takeaways:
Manchester City booked a place in the FA Cup semi-finals for the seventh straight year after a 2:1 comeback victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. The result keeps alive the Citizens’ hopes of lifting a trophy in what has been a challenging season. Pep Guardiola’s side will now face Nottingham Forest for a spot in the final.
Haaland missed a penalty and two clear chances in the opening minutes before Bournemouth struck first through Evanilson in the 21st minute. After the break, Haaland equalised (49’), and Omar Marmoush (63’) completed the comeback. A crucial contribution came from 20-year-old Nico O’Reilly, who entered at half-time and assisted both goals.
The Cherries were making only their third appearance in this stage of the competition and have never advanced to the semi-finals. However, Andoni Iraola’s men had already beaten City once this season – winning 2:1 on this same pitch in November.
The stats behind @ManCity's #EmiratesFACup quarter-final victory win over @afcbournemouth 🔢
Presented by @CarlingUK pic.twitter.com/9fGFr3lWDC
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) March 30, 2025
City started more aggressively. In the 10th minute, Nunes sent in a good cross from the right, and Haaland headed just wide. Shortly after, a handball by Adams inside the box led to a penalty, but Haaland’s shot was read perfectly by Kepa Arrizabalaga, who dived the right way and saved it. In the 16th minute, Haaland missed another great chance when he went one-on-one with Kepa. Though he rounded the goalkeeper, his lobbed shot missed the target. Bournemouth capitalised in the 21st minute. A misjudged pass from Nunes in front of City’s box allowed Brooks to take possession and deliver a precise cross to the far post. Kluivert redirected the ball, and Evanilson finished from point-blank range.
Guardiola brought on Nico O’Reilly for Husanov at the start of the second half, and the youngster made an immediate impact. Just four minutes later, he delivered a perfect cross from the left for Haaland, who finished from close range to make it 1:1. In the 61st minute, Guardiola substituted the injured Haaland for Omar Marmoush, a move that quickly paid off. Two minutes later, O’Reilly once again made the difference, pouncing on a slip by Semenyo and sending Marmoush through on goal. The Egyptian controlled well and fired under Kepa to seal the comeback and send City into the semi-finals.