Bristol City 2-1 Manchester United: Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic humbled by Championship side as Korey Smith seals famous victory in injury time

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Korey Smith was buried beneath his team-mates in one corner of the pitch while Bristol City’s young manager Lee Johnson sprinted down the opposite touchline, fists clenched in celebration, before hurling himself into the arms of his coaching staff.

A relative sense of order was restored for the few moments that remained before referee Mike Dean started the pandemonium all over again.

It took them another 20 minutes to clear the pitch of fans who could barely believe what they had just seen. 

Korey Smith scuffed the ball past Manchester United goalkeeper Sergio Romero to seal a famous victory in the Carabao Cup

Bristol City celebrate after Smith scored the winning goal with just seconds left on the clock to seal a famous victory

Bristol City Manager Lee Johnson runs down the touchline to celebrate his side's second and winning goal with a ball boy

A fan leaps onto his hero Smith after seeing him score the winning goal in the final minute of stoppage time

Smith is helped to his feet by fans as they rush to celebrate with him following the conclusion of a terrific match

Bristol City's Jamie Paterson (left) and Bobby Reid celebrate their victory after the final whistle with fans at Ashton Gate

Joe Bryan of Bristol City hammers the ball past Romero and into the Manchester United net to give Bristol City the lead

Luke Shaw of Manchester United and his team-mates react after Bristol City scored to make it 2-1 with just seconds to play

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS AND MATCH ZONE 

Bryan hit a sensational strike past Romero to give Bristol City the lead. For more from Sportsmail's brilliant Match Zone, click HERE.

Bristol City: Steele, Wright, Flint, Baker, Magnusson (Taylor 69), Brownhill (Eliasson 74), Pack, Smith, Bryan, Paterson, Reid.

Subs not used: Fielding, Kelly, Vyner, Lemonheigh-Evans, Garita.

Goals: Bryan 51, Smith 90+3

Bookings: Paterson, Taylor

Manchester United: Romero, Lindelof, Rojo, Blind (Lukaku 61), Darmian, McTominay, Pogba, Shaw, Rashford, Ibrahimovic (Mkhitaryan 69), Martial.

Subs not used: Mata, Smalling, Lingard, Herrera, Pereira.

Goals: Ibrahimovic 58

Bookings: Rashford, Pogba

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

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What a moment. What a night. It was 1980 when these two clubs last met and they will be talking about this win in the West Country for another 37 years.

The night they took on Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku – and sent them packing.

Manchester United’s stars disappeared down the tunnel and into the night leaving the wonderful chaos behind them. The cup holders are out and deservedly so.

You have to give credit to their conquerors from the Championship, a team that has now taken four Premier League scalps this season after knocking out Watford, Stoke and Crystal Palace in the earlier rounds.

City have scored 11 goals in the process. This was no fluke, and that is what will trouble Jose Mourinho most on Thursday morning.

Yes, he did make 10 changes from Sunday’s win at West Brom, but he had enough good players at his disposal to get the job done. 

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho (left) and Bristol City manager Johnson speak ahead of the Carabao Cup tie

The visiting manager Mourinho kindly agreed to take pictures with young Bristol City fans after taking his seat in the dugout

The Bristol City team huddle together before kick-off amid an intense atmosphere at Ashton Gate Stadium on Wednesday

Manchester United's captain for the tie, Ibrahimovic, and his counterpart Bailey Wright shake hands before kick-off

Ibrahimovic came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half after his deflected effort bounced off of the crossbar

Paul Pogba was making his first start for Manchester United since serving a three-game ban for a red card against Arsenal

The France international escaped unpunished after a horrendous tackle on Bristol City midfielder Marlon Pack 

A day that began with United’s charter flight being diverted to Cardiff due to fog ended with them losing their way in a competition he has won four times previously. Not this year.

Instead, it will be Bristol City who face Manchester City in the semi-finals, not United.

Given recent tensions in Manchester, maybe that’s not a bad thing in a tournament that, rather appropriately, was once known as the Milk Cup.

We were preparing for extra-time and the possibility of penalties when the game entered the third minute of added time.

Matty Taylor lifted the ball over the top of the United defence and Smith controlled it on his chest before turning to goal.

Sergio Romero dashed off his line to try and narrow the angle, but it was no good. Smith volleyed the ball beyond United’s reserve keeper and into the net.

Ashton Gate erupted. Johnson sprinted down the line like a younger Mourinho. He knew it was all over. 

Manchester United star Daley Blind heads clear as goalkeeper Sergio Romero watches on following a chance for Bristol City

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford attempts to break the deadlock with a strike from outside Bristol's penalty box 

Referee Mike Dean dismisses the protests of Manchester United's Dutch star Blind after a decision goes against him

It was no more than his team deserved either. City were excellent from the start here as they took the game to United and showed scant regard for their opponents’ reputations, notably Pogba and Ibrahimovic.

Sergio Romero was not exempt either, with Aden Flint, Bobby Reid and Jamie Paterson taking it in turns to harangue the United keeper every time he tried to punt the ball downfield.

Pogba, in particular, was fortunate on his return from a three-match ban that Dean did not have a better view of an ugly, high challenge on Nathan Baker in the first half.

Ibrahimovic, United’s captain for the night on his first start since rupturing a cruciate ligament in April, looked well short of match fitness and was targeted by the home fans.

The Swede went close to an opening goal when he met Anthony Martial’s cross to the far post with a volley into the ground that took a nick off Baker before clipping the bar.

Marcus Rashford also hit the foot of the post with a fine effort from the edge of the box as a disjointed United managed to create the better chances before half-time.

But Romero was forced to beat away efforts from Josh Brownhill and Hordur Magnusson, while only a fantastic last-ditch tackle from Daley Blind to touch the ball off Smith’s toes stopped City’s hero from scoring sooner than he did. 

Bryan struck with his first touch of the ball and watched as it sailed into the top corner of the Manchester United goal

Manchester United's goalkepeer Romero asks questions of defender Marcos Rojo after they concede the first goal

Pogba won a free kick after the referee adjudged Korey Smith to have fouled him on the edge of the Bristol City penalty area

The Swede beat the Bristol City goalkeeper with a low strike that exposed a large gap in the home side's defensive wall

Luke Steele, goalkeeper of Bristol City, is unable to stop a ferocious shot from Ibrahimovic after failing to set his wall properly

Ibrahimovic raises his arms after scoring Manchester United's first goal of the night to bring them back on level terms

Rashford and Pogba congratulate their Manchester United team-mate after seeing his free-kick bring them level in the match

The home side made the breakthrough in stunning fashion in the 51st minute as they broke on United again.

Marlon Pack released Joe Bryan down the left with a clever reverse pass and City’s gifted No 3 galloped after it.

Still, it looked to have taken Bryan too wide of the target and he seemed more likely to attempt a cross to the far post.

Instead, he caught United cold with a spectacular shot that flashed past Romero and into the top corner before the Argentine could react.

It was a wonderful goal on City’s big night.

United’s response was instant. Martial’s dribble gave Ibrahimovic possession 35 yards from goal and the Swede was ridiculed as he sent a wild shot out of play for a throw-in on the other side of the pitch.

It was probably not a wise move by the home fans and they paid for it moments later when the veteran striker showed that he is still a threat at 36 and half fit.

Pogba was fouled 20 yards out and Ibrahimovic lashed a freekick through the wall, taking a slight deflection on its way past Luke Steele into the bottom corner.

Mourinho sent on Romelu Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for a rare run-out but it was Smith who came up with the decisive goal.

Cue bedlam in Bristol.

Manchester United's Romero causes unrest in his penalty area after failing to connect with the ball while attempting to clear

Dean shows Pogba a yellow card for dissent as frustrations boil over for the Manchester United team on Wednesday

Smith finishes his chance in the 93rd minute to give Bristol City the victory over the Carabao Cup holders at Ashton Gate

Smith runs to celebrate his goal, which sparked huge celebrations in a packed Ashton Gate on Wednesday evening

Some fans leap advertising hoardings to celebrate with their players following the late, late drama at Ashton Gate

Police and stewards rush onto the pitch to try and restore order following the huge pitch invasion at Ashton Gate