League Cup final in sight for Man City after 3-1 win at United

Guardiola stresses the tie is not over, while Solskjaer admits his side couldn't recover from the early setback and their heads dropped.

SHOWS: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (JANUARY 7, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, SAYING: "That is not three points, that (the tie) is not done.

Last season (in the Champions League) they (Manchester United) lost zero-two against PSG and after they went to France and you know they qualified.

So everything can happen in football and I know after what happened in the second half, they are a dangerous team." 2.

WHITE FLASH 3.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER, OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER, SAYING: "From fifteen or from the first goal till half-time, we just couldn't cope with that setback.

We were running in between, the pressure didn't work, we let them play and our heads dropped.

We just made decisions that we shouldn't do and that needed sorting out at half-time.

I think second half was a good response and we still, even though it's a steep mountain to climb, we can still climb it and we've just got to look forward." STORY: Holders Manchester City took a big step towards a return to the League Cup final with a 3-1 win over Manchester United in their semi-final, first leg at Old Trafford on Tuesday (January 7).

City outclassed their neighbours in the first half, going in 3-0 at the break before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side regrouped and avoided what could have been a more emphatic defeat.

A brilliant strike from Bernardo Silva put City ahead in the 17th minute, the winger cutting in from the right before unleashing a superb shot into the far, top corner.

The busy Portugal international then created City's second, collecting a poor headed clearance from Victor Lindelof and dancing past a challenge before threading the ball to Riyad Mahrez who rounded goalkeeper David de Gea and slotted home.

City then punished United on a counter-attack, which ended with Kevin De Bruyne blasting goalwards before De Gea's parry ricocheted off United midfielder Andreas Pereira into the net.

United looked more solid after the introduction of midfielder Nemanja Matic at the break and got a foothold in the tie through a 70th minute goal from Marcus Rashford.