Man City beat Dortmund, Real Madrid oust Liverpool, to reach Champions League semis

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.

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.

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

But City laid siege to the Dortmund goal, with Kevin De Bruyne hitting the crossbar. Dortmund handed City the breakthrough early in the second half when Emre Can gave away a penalty by heading a cross onto his arm.

Riyad Mahrez put City back in control when he blasted the spot kick into the top right, past standin goalkeeper Marwin Hitz.

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 to celebrate with a hug.

Real Madrid secured its return to the Champions League semifinals after a two-season absence by holding Liverpool to a 0-0 draw Wednesday, protecting a 31 advantage from the first leg.

Liverpool created chance after chance but Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane could find no way past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and a makeshift defense that stifled a front three that has endured a season of frustration.

A scene of many memorable European comebacks, Anfield lacked the fans who have so often inspired Liverpool in similar situations.

The only way Liverpool supporters could make their presence felt was outside the stadium with a red haze of flares greeting the teams before the game — and one of the Madrid buses being hit by an object that smashed a window.

But while the record 13-time European champions can look forward to a semifinal against Chelsea, Liverpool's last route to a trophy this season has now been shut off.

It's quite a comedown for Jürgen Klopp's side, which won the Champions League in 2019 — after losing the 2018 final to Madrid — and ended a 30-year English championship drought by winning the Premier League by an 18-point margin in 2020.