Goals from David Silva and Sergio Aguero have earned Manchester City a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
City should have netted more in a match they controlled for large periods, but Pep Guardiola will be satisfied having watched his team ease into the last four of the competition.
Yaya Toure’s floated pass to Pablo Zabaleta was volleyed into the penalty area and although Raheem Sterling miscued his shot, it fell invitingly to Silva who converted from close range.
Middlesbrough were second best for much of the opening stages but they came agonisingly close to an equaliser when Rudy Gestede rose above the City defence to direct a header on goal, but a combination of Claudio Bravo and Zabaleta kept the ball out.
Moments later, the striker headed over as he started to get the better of John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi, but he soon had to be withdrawn after suffering what appeared to be a muscle injury.
After the restart, City soon showed their intent to put the game to bed at the earliest opportunity but they wasted numerous chances to double their advantage.
City’s pressure finally paid off when Aguero stole a march on his marker to convert Sane’s low cross into the bottom corner from six yards, and the goal effectively ended the game as a contest.
Sterling had a goal wrongly chalked off for offside when tapping home after Aguero’s shot had been fumbled by Guzan, before Silva failed to make the most of an opening from 12 yards out.
Middlesbrough almost halved the deficit with 13 minutes left through a header from Fabio, but Stones was in the right place in the right time to prevent the ball finding the bottom corner.
As the game entered the closing stages, Guzan pulled off another timely block – this time from Sterling – as he continued to keep the scoreline respectable, but Middlesbrough could not create anything else in the final third as City moved closer to the final in relatively routine fashion.
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