Heading into their Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg against Manchester City 9-0 down, it always appeared to be a near-impossible task for Burton Albion to get anything resembling a positive result at the Pirelli Stadium.
That task was made even more difficult as the Brewers looked upon a Citizens' team possessing a wicked front-three of Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez. The chasm in quality was not immediately identifiable though with the visitors escaping with a slender 1-0 victory thanks to Aguero's first-half strike taking them safely to Wembley.
City stars hit the front
Mahrez looked the brightest in the opening stages and twice had the chance to score as he cut inside from the right on both occasions but put his efforts wide and over respectively.
He would be provider for the opening goal though and it was the result of a fantastic move. De Bruyne picked-out Mahrez on the right-flank and the Algerian drove at the Burton defence. Once at the by-line, he cut the ball back to the unmarked Aguero to finish low into the far corner of the net.
The Argentine should have had a second in the second-half as he again found space in the penalty area following Phil Foden's cross. Only yards from goal and with only the keeper to beat, he somehow shot wide.
Opportunities passed up but City go through
City's embarrassment of riches was emphasised even further as Pep Guardiola introduced Gabriel Jesus and Benjamin Mendy to the fray.
That did not dampen the home side's spirits though as Will Miller picked up the ball following a ricochet off of the goalkeeper. With an empty net, he shot but somehow Eric Garcia had got back in the nick of time to clear the ball off of the line.
Substitute Gabriel Jesus really should have polished off proceedings as he wriggled past the Burton defence and aimed for the bottom corner but his low shot was deflected behind.
Takeaways
Strength in depth
With a 9-0 lead coming into the match, there were some calls for Pep Guardiola to completely change his team. However, club-record goalscorer started the game and scored. With the Argentine finding the back off the net and Gabriel Jesus having netted six last week, the City manager has two in-form strikers to choose from.
That really could be vital heading into the final few months of the season as the reigning Premier League champions continue their battle for trophies on both the domestic and European front.
Wastefulness from City
Having said that, the evening could have been slightly more uncomfortable had it not been for their emphatic first-leg advantage. The Citizens did huff and puff slightly but they still created excellent chances.
Aguero passed up an easy opportunity with Mahrez also going close. Guardiola's troops cannot afford to waste those sort of chances in a league game should they hope to retain the crown.
Historic times for Burton
Regardless of their exit from the competition, the fact that Burton Albion have reached a League Cup semi-final really should be praised. The club, only boasting a crowd of 6,519, went toe-to-toe with free-spending City on the night and should hold a deep sense of pride.
The job that Nigel Clough has done to mastermind their run is brilliant and they will remember the night that they hosted Manchester City only one game away from a major final.
Man of the Match
Burton really do have to be praised for a wonderfully battling performance in tough circumstances. Kyle McFadzean in particular was excellent as he kept an extremely talented City attack quiet for the majority of the game.