Tevez was always destined to play a pivotal role in this semi-final, one way or another. Sure enough, when Craig Bellamy was held back by badly beaten United full-back Fabio five minutes before the interval, it was the Argentinian forward who was handed the responsibility of converting from the penalty spot, one he gleefully accepted with an emphatic finish.
Tevez's gesture to former team mate Gary Neville, sat in his customary position on the United bench, told the defender to be silent and was sweet revenge for the City man having endured a half of baiting and abuse from visiting supporters. The penalty cancelled out Giggs's early opening goal, which came from United's first attack of note. Patrice Evra found Antonio Valencia on the right wing. Bellamy appeared to have stifled the danger with a challenge on the winger but Valencia slipped past the City man and took advantage of Vincent Kompany's failure to cut out the cross.
A near-post touch from Wayne Rooney took the ball away from City keeper Shay Given and Giggs was well placed to convert into an open net from practically on the goalline. The second half winner was vintage Tevez although it was again the result of poor defending from United, something that has happened with alarming regularity for Sir Alex Ferguson's team this season.
The overwrought pre-match build-up from City was perhaps understandable. Since they last appeared in a major semi-final, of the 1981 FA Cup, a total of 54 different league clubs have reached the last four of one or other of the two major domestic knockout competitions.