Champions League: Man City, Real Madrid enter semifinals

Walker & Foden
Manchester City's Phil Foden, right, celebrates with Kyle Walker after netting the winner. Photo: AFP

Dortmund: Manchester City scored twice in the second half through Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden to beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 on Wednesday and reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time in six years.

Foden, who scored the winner in their 2-1 first-leg victory, fired in off the post in the 76th minute after Mahrez had converted a 55th-minute penalty to secure a 4-2 aggregate triumph and send City into the last four for the second time.

"It means a lot, this club this team deserves it," City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said. "We are grateful for being in a great competition, reaching the semifinal for the first time with this team.

"This Borussia team has a lot of quality," he said. "On a good day they can beat everyone. It's about staying in the game, attitude, personality, especially in that stage of the competition."

Stone & Haaland
Manchester City's John Stone and Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland fight for possession. Photo: Reuters

Dortmund had gone ahead when striker Erling Haaland chased down a deep cross, the ball falling to Jude Bellingham and the teenager curling his shot into the top corner in the 15th minute for his first Champions League goal.

Premier League leaders City, eliminated in the quarter-finals of the competition in the previous three years, will face Paris St Germain in the semifinals after the French champions knocked out holders Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

City manager Pep Guardiola reached his eighth Champions League semifinal as a coach, equalling Jose Mourinho, and his first with the English club.

Phillips & Benzema
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema in action with Liverpool's Nathaniel Phillips. Photo: Reuters

Real Madrid moved into the semifinals after their makeshift defence held on for 0-0 second-leg draw with Liverpool at Anfield to complete a 3-1 aggregate win.

The Spanish side will face Chelsea in the last four as they search for their fifth Champions League title in eight years.

Liverpool, the 2019 Champions League winners, created enough chances in the opening 45 minutes to have turned the tie around but they ran out of ideas in the second half.

Juergen Klopp had hoped that a disappointing Premier League campaign could be compensated for with some end of season European excitement but his side still look well short of the thrills they produced in the past two seasons.

"You always need the key moments. We didn't lose the tie tonight, we lost in Madrid. We didn't score and then the experience of Real Madrid played the tie out," said Klopp.

"We love this competition and for other reasons it is very important we are back in it. We can now concentrate on the Premier League and we will."

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