Football: Jota fires late winner as fortunate Liverpool down Forest
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Liverpool's Diogo Jota scores their first goal.
PHOTO: REUTERS
NOTTINGHAM (REUTERS) - Diogo Jota's late winner earned Liverpool a 1-0 victory at a spirited Nottingham Forest on Sunday (March 20) to book an FA Cup semi-final clash with Premier League title rivals Manchester City.
Second-tier Forest, who had already knocked out Premier League Arsenal and Leicester City en route to the quarter-finals, held their own in the first half, with Joe Lolley wasting a glorious chance to break the deadlock.
A much-changed Liverpool struggled to create much in the opening period, and again survived another scare early in the second as Keinan Davis almost squeezed the ball home, but away goalkeeper Alisson recovered well to smother.
The home side continued to take the game to Liverpool, with Philip Zinckernagel missing the best Forest chance of the night moments before Jota pounced 12 minutes from time to poke home the winner, breaking hearts all around the City Ground.
Forest kept coming, but their Cup run ended having gone toe-to-toe with the Premier League giants, who will now face the team they are tussling with for the top-flight crown.
“It was obviously a tough game,” Jota told ITV Sport. “They (Forest) are a great team and play with lots of intensity and they gave us a proper fight.
“They gave us a proper challenge and their fans were outstanding. But we are in the semi-finals. It (City) is another tough game. One more. There are still a lot of games before then.”
“They gave us a proper challenge and their fans were outstanding. But we are in the semi-finals. It (City) is another tough game. One more. There are still a lot of games before then.”
