LONDON – Ahead of a Champions League playoff against Real Madrid, Manchester City survived a scare at third-tier Leyton Orient to advance to the fifth round of the English FA Cup.
City hosts Madrid on Tuesday in the first of a two-legged playoff. And while Pep Guardiola’s team eventually fought back to win 2-1 against Orient, it will likely need a much-improved performance to overcome Champions League holder Madrid.
Orient threatened to pull off a famous upset when it led 1-0 at halftime against Guardiola’s four-time defending Premier League champion.
It took goals from substitutes Abdukodir Khusanov and Kevin De Bruyne to secure victory for City at Brisbane Road.
“It was impossible to control,” Guardiola said according to AP. “We played with character, and we are in the next round and it´s always nice.”
Orient went ahead in spectacular fashion when Jamie Donley’s shot from just past the halfway line hit the bar and rebounded off the back of City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega in the 16th minute.
It was officially credited as an own-goal, but Donley took the congratulations as he celebrated wildly in front of the home fans. He was also rewarded with the player-of-the-match award.
But the goal wasn’t enough to hold off City’s fightback. Rico Lewis’ effort deflected off Khusanov in the 56th to level the match and De Bruyne flicked a shot past Josh Keeley in the 79th to seal victory.
It wasn’t all good news for Guardiola, however, with $61.8 million midfielder Nico Gonzalez injured and substituted after 22 minutes of his debut.
City pressed hard in waves, although often there was a sense of a team undecided which route to take while walking the ball into the net.
Donley cleared a Silva shot off the line. Jack Grealish took the ball in space in the area at one point, coiled for shot, then passed backwards, which will at least help with the completion metrics.
Flying high in the Premier League, Bournemouth is also through to the fifth round of the Cup after a 2-0 victory over Everton.
Antoine Semenyo’s penalty and a goal for Daniel Jebbison put Bournemouth on course for the next round by halftime at Goodison Park.
Everton hit the post three times in the second half as David Moyes’ team mounted a fightback, but couldn’t find a way through.
Ipswich’s priority is to avoid relegation from the top flight this season, but a 4-1 win at second-tier Coventry kept it going in the Cup, with Jack Clarke scoring twice.
Bottom of the Premier League and seemingly destined for relegation, Southampton got no respite in the FA Cup as second tier Burnley won 1-0 at St Mary’s.
Rodrigo Muniz scored both goals for Fulham in a 2-1 win at Wigan.
Scott Parker’s team went in front after 77 minutes when Marcus Edwards scored from close-range on his debut after signing on loan from Sporting Lisbon.
Edwards, 26, was once compared to Lionel Messi before being released by Tottenham and rebuilding his career in Lisbon.
It is almost 600 minutes since Championship promotion chasers Burnley last conceded a goal, with 10 clean-sheets in their last 11 games.
Wigan won the competition back in 2013 – beating Manchester City in the final – and was relegated days later. It has been out of the Premier League ever since and is currently in the third tier.
But it pushed top-flight Fulham, with Jonny Smith leveling the game in the second half before Muniz scored the second of his goals to seal the win.
Leeds, top of the second tier, was knocked out by Millwall – losing 2-0 at home.
