FA Youth Cup Report: Manchester City 3 Leicester City 0

First-half strikes from Aaron Nemane and Denzeil Boadu, coming within just four minutes of each other, saw the hosts carry a two-goal advantage into the break before Nemane scored his second of the game in injury-time.
Leicester went into the tie on the back of a 2-0 Barclays U18 Premier League loss to Tottenham Hotspur in their last outing, while the hosts were looking to extend their unbeaten run to five games in all competitions.
Man City’s route to the last-four included victories over Oxford United, Coventry City and Stoke City before a thumping 6-1 win over Crewe Alexandra in the last round.
An 88th-minute winner from City right-back Darnell Johnson secured Leicester’s progression into the semi-finals in a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City at King Power Stadium in late February – that result following impressive cup wins over Wigan Athletic, Chesterfield and Southampton.
The opposition’s threat was evident from the off. It took just seven minutes for Man City to muster up the first opportunity of the game as winger Brandon Barker tested Max Smith-Varnham from a tight angle before the loose ball was cleared by Cedric Kipre.
A pin-point cross from Angelino then found Boadu, who teed up Barker for his second chance of the game – the attacker slicing his volley wide of the target on the quarter-hour mark.
An intelligent piece of play from Brandon Fox shortly followed. The Leicester wideman dummied the pass out to Johnson on the wing before cutting inside and curling an effort inches over the bar.
Kipre then did well to put Thierry Ambrose off on 29 minutes – the powerful centre-half throwing himself in the way of the striker’s 10-yard effort.
The hosts opened the scoring on the half-hour mark. Smith-Varnham denied Ambrose from close range, but couldn’t keep out the follow-up from Nemane, despite getting a glove to the ball.
A second goal for Man City arrived just four minutes later. Boadu drifted inside from the left flank and side-footed a shot past Smith-Varnham to double his side’s advantage.
Bersant Celina brought first-half proceedings to a close, lifting a 20-yard free-kick well over the City crossbar – 2-0 to the Citizens at the break.
Leicester started the second period with great intent. Keenan King - who had already scored two goals in four Youth Cup appearances prior to this tie - did well down the right but couldn’t find Harvey Barnes in the centre.
England Under-17s international Layton Ndukwu then curled a free-kick into the opposition box which defender Pablo Maffeo attempted to clear, only to slice agonisingly wide of Christian Kjetil-Haug’s upright.
A defiant Elliott Moore then blocked Celina’s low drive before Smith-Varnham got down well to his right to deny Maffeo from range.
Smith-Varnham was wise to Celina’s searching through-ball just after the hour mark as the shot-stopper did well to come off his line to prevent the incoming Ambrose.
And the City ‘keeper had to deny Ambrose again shorty after. The lively forward produced a skilful turn and strike which Smith-Varnham had to palm away to safety.
Plenty of possession for Man City followed, with the pick of the efforts a 35-yard half-volley from Celina that Smith-Varnham comfortably held on to.
A late surge from the hosts saw Celina then find Maffeo in space, but the defender couldn’t hit the target and fired into the side-netting from a tight angle.
Man City dealt a final blow in the dying stages after a long ball into Leicester’s box fell to Nemane, who tapped in from six yards to make it 3-0.
The young Foxes will look to overturn the three-goal deficit when they play their Youth Cup Semi-Final Second Leg at King Power Stadium on Wednesday 8 April.
MAN CITY: Kjetil-Haug, Maffeo, Humphreys-Grant, Adarabioyo (c), Angelino, Bryan, Nemane, Celina, Ambrose, Boadu, Barker
SUBS NOT USED: Tattum, Albinson, Wood, Kongolo, Garcia
GOALS: Nemane 30, 90, Boadu 34
CITY: Smith-Varnham, Johnson, Chilwell (c), Choudhury, Moore, Kipre, Ndukwu, Miles, King (Muskwe 87), Barnes (Rowe 88), Fox
SUBS NOT USED: Knight, Bramley, Bailey
REFEREE: Tony Harrington