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Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Portuguese striker Bernardo Silva bent a beautiful shot into the upper left corner of the net for a score in Manchester City's derby win against Manchester United at the Carabao Cup. Silva's stunning strike came in the 17th minute of the 3-1 victory in the first-leg semifinal matchup Tuesday at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.
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Sky Blues right back Kyle Walker dribbled up the right flank at the start of the play. Walker drew several defenders near the top of the Red Devils' box, before playing the ball back to a trailing Silva. The Sky Blues striker tapped the ball to his left before ripping a 20-yard shot toward the far post.
The ball curved wide of the post, before bending back in toward the net. Silva's shot went around Red Devils keeper David de Gea as he dove to his right, attempting to save the strike.
"The first 45 minutes was very good, and we could have gone into halftime winning four or 5-0 because we missed a few chances," Silva told ManCity.com.
Silva also played a key role in the Sky Blues' second score, assisting Riyad Mahrez in the 33rd minute. Silva recovered a loose ball at midfield at the start of that sequence. He dribbled around several defenders before playing a through ball ahead for Mahrez. The Sky Blue striker gained control of the pass before dribbling around de Gea and calmly kicking the ball into the open net.
City scored for a third time when United midfielder Andreas Pereira netted an own goal in the 38th minute. Silva and Kevin de Bruyne were on a breakaway to spark that sequence. De Bruyne reached the left post before firing a shot, which was blocked by de Gea. The deflection sprayed out into the box and hit Pereira's right leg, before going into the net.
Marcus Rashford scored the Red Devils' lone goal in the 70th minute. Striker Mason Greenwood dribbled into the box before playing a pass ahead for Rashford during that play. Rashford then grounded a shot into the far-post netting, beating Sky Blues keeper Claudio Bravo.
"The first minutes were tight but then we had an outstanding goal and we played really good," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "We played a really good game with a lot of passes from behind.
"In the second half they changed their shape [formation] with the diamond, and we struggled to keep the ball a bit more, but it is a good result."
The Sky Blues face Aston Villa in Premier League play at 11:30 a.m. EST Saturday in Birmingham, England. The Red Devils face Norwich City in the Premier League at 10 a.m. Saturday at Old Trafford. City and United resume their derby semifinal Jan. 29 at Etihad Stadium in Manchester.
"Nothing is over, but it's always important to start this way," Silva said. "We still have 90 minutes, and we want to give our fans a final.
"We know what the derby means to be them. We have to attack and try to create chances in the second leg."
