Man City beats Dortmund for Champions League semifinal

DORTMUND, Germany — Pep Guardiola shared an emotional moment with goalscorer Phil Foden as Manchester City ended its run of failure in the Champions League quarterfinals Wednesday, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 for a 4-2 aggregate win.

Jude Bellingham scored to put Dortmund on course for an upset win before City hit back through a penalty by Riyad Mahrez and Foden's goal.

Guardiola reached the semifinals with City at the fifth attempt, matching the club's best ever result under his predecessor Manuel Pellegrini in 2016. Guardiola said Tuesday he expected to be labeled “a failure” if Dortmund became the fourth club in a row to eliminate City in a Champions League quarterfinal, after Lyon last year and before that Tottenham and Liverpool. Monaco beat City in the round of 16 in 2017 in Guardiola’s first season.

Bellingham, Dortmund's 17-year-old English midfielder, put the German club ahead when he scored in the 15th minute after City defender Ruben Dias blocked Mahmoud Dahoud's shot. That levelled the aggregate score 2-2, with Dortmund ahead on away goals.

Bellingham became the second-youngest player to score in a Champions League knockout game at 17 years, 289 days. Bojan Krkic was 72 days younger when he scored for Barcelona against Schalke in 2008.

City then laid siege to the Dortmund goal, with Kevin De Bruyne hitting the crossbar. And Dortmund handed City the breakthrough early in the second half when Emre Can gave away a penalty by heading a cross onto his arm. Mahrez put City back in control when he blasted the spot kick into the top right, past stand-in goalkeeper Marwin Hitz.

Chasing another goal to force extra time, Dortmund pushed up, but could only muster an off-target header from Mats Hummels at a free kick. City took advantage of the space which opened up to pressure Dortmund.

Foden, who also scored in the first leg last week, made sure of the win in the 75th with a low shot past Hitz off a short corner routine. He ran straight to Guardiola on the touchline to celebrate with a hug.

The loss means Dortmund could face an exodus of talented young players at the end of the season. Part of the appeal to talents like striker Erling Haaland and forward Jadon Sancho — the latter injured for this game — has been Dortmund’s consistent Champions League appearances as a way to develop their skills and show off to potential buyers. With Dortmund sitting fifth in the Bundesliga, it’s on course for the far less appealing Europa League.

“It's a shame because it feels like there we had more to offer,” captain Marco Reus told broadcaster Sky. “We're very sad.”