A CROSS from one Egyptian, a volleyed finish from another, several human pyramids on a gleeful Holte End and Aston Villa are going to Wembley.
Life-long Villa fan Dean Smith has already won a play-off final at the national stadium after taking over his boyhood club last season.
Trezeguet wheels away in celebration after emerging from the bench to grab Aston Villa’s winnerCredit: PA:Press Association
The winger turned in his fellow Egyptian Elmohamady’s cross to break Leicester heartsCredit: AFP or licensors
His injury-time winner sparked mass jubilation and a pitch invasion at Villa ParkCredit: Reuters
Now he has the chance – albeit it a slim one – to claim Villa’s first major trophy since 1996 after a belting semi-final.
Substitute striker Trezeguet claimed the 93rd-minute winner after a centre from his compatriot and fellow sub Ahmed Elmohamady.
It sparked a mass pitch invasion – largely good-natured – which is likely to land Villa in hot water.
Not that many of those trespassers could care less after this dramatic victory.
There were Villa heroes everywhere – not least skipper Jack Grealish, central defensive powerhouse Tyrone Mings and keeper Orjan Nyland, who pulled off four excellent first-half saves.
Villa have suffered some tough times since their relegation from the Premier League in 2016, and had verged on financial meltdown at one point.
Yet they now have a day out in the spotlight on March 1 and despite the relegation battle they are fighting, their supporters are going to relish it.
Pep Guardiola, manager of likely final opponents Manchester City, reckons this competition should be scrapped.
But few who support either of these clubs will agree, especially after a second leg which began with breathless excitement and ended in suffocating tension.
Villa scored through Matt Targett, while Leicester were on top; Leicester levelled through Kelechi Iheanacho while Villa were in the ascendancy.
And then, when the Foxes looked the more likely winners, Trezeguet pounced to send Villa into the final.
Brendan Rodgers must wait for his first major silverware in English football.
And while Leicester’s title-winning heroics are fresh in the memory it has been 20 years since the Foxes reached a major Wembley cup final – when they won this competition in 2000.
Yet they had a late Kelechi Iheanacho equaliser to bring them to Villa Park on level terms.
With Jamie Vardy only fit enough to make the bench after suffering a pain in the backside against West Ham last week, Iheanacho was leading the line again.
And inside three minutes the striker was testing Villa keeper Orjan Nyland, winning a grapple with Tyrone Mings, then seeing his shot from an angle saved by the Norwegian’s body.
Kasper Schmeichel saved with his feet from Matt Targett then Nyland was at it again, plunging low to his left twice to keep out two powerful Maddison efforts in quick succession – with the game still only nine minutes old.
It was a belting start and the old place was rocking – though that was possibly the after-effects from the extraordinary volume of the Villa Park PA system in the pre-match build-up.
On 12 minutes, the eardrums were pummelled again as Villa seized the lead.
Fredric Guilbert won possession and fed Douglas Luiz, who released Jack Grealish, Villa’s captain then producing a raunchy little reverse flick of the heel for Targett to drive home first-time.
Trezeguet steered home a left-foot volley from Elmohamady’s centre to send the home side into bedlamCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Kelechi Iheanacho had threatened to take the tie to penalties after netting his third goal against Villa this seasonCredit: AP:Associated Press
On the half-hour, Nyland was at it again tipping a vicious Youri Tielemans drive on the underside of the bar.
And soon after Leicester were enraged when VAR failed to award them a penalty as Marvelous Nakamba raised his arm to block a Maddison shot.
It could hardly have been more clear or obvious but nobody watching or playing this game genuinely has a clue about VAR handball decisions anymore.
Leicester had bossed long stretches of the first half but went in behind.
And Villa started the second period in lively fashion – Grealish and Targett both narrowly off-target, then Grealish having a tear-up with Caglar Soyuncu after a foul from the big Turkish defender.
Rodgers threw on Vardy, for Ayoze Perez, in the 56th minute but Villa were still doing most of the pressing.
After a Schmeichel blunder gifted possession to Villa, it needed a last-ditch header from Ben Chilwell to clear Leicester’s lines.
When Grealish drifted out to the right, he whipped in a cross which begged a finish from Mbwana Samatta but the Tanzanian new boy was unable to connect, just five yards out.
Yet against the run of play, Leicester levelled on 72 minutes, Vardy dropping deep to get the move going and Maddison picking out Harvey Barnes, who crossed low for Iheanacho to tap in.
Maddison skied one into the Holte End after Vardy had created space in the box – Trezeguet could only manage a meek effort when sent clean through.
But the Egyptian made amends right at the death when he steered home a left-foot volley from Elmohamady’s centre to send Villa Park into bedlam.
Matt Targett had given Villa the lead early on with a fierce volleyCredit: Reuters
The defender combined brilliantly with Jack Grealish down the left side all matchCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Aston Villa vs Leicester: Live stream, TV channel and kick-off time for Carabao Cup semi-final
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
