Bristol City were “lucky” to beat Manchester United but the result was a “beautiful day for football”, said Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho.
Korey Smith scored an injury-time winner as the Championship side beat the Carabao Cup holders 2-1.
The Robins will face unbeaten Premier League leaders Manchester City in the two-legged semi-finals.
“A team from the lower division won. A big day for them,” Mourinho told Sky Sports.
The Robins reached the last four of the competition for the first time since 1988-89 with a well-deserved victory at Ashton Gate, going ahead in the second half through Joe Bryan’s thunderbolt into the top corner.
United had already hit the crossbar and post – and Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalised with a deflected free-kick.
But Smith’s cool strike sparked jubilant scenes as United became City’s fourth top-flight scalp in this year’s competition, after Watford, Stoke and Crystal Palace.
Mourinho said: “They were a bit lucky but they fought a lot to be lucky. Everyone was waiting for our goal so they were lucky. We hit the post twice.
“But they played brilliantly, they fought like it was the game of their lives which probably it was. A beautiful day for football.”
bbc.com
