3 PEPS TO HEAVEN

Mahrez & Foden provide fireworks to send City into semis as Guardiola moves closer to Istanbul dream

FIREWORKS let off outside Manchester City’s hotel the night before the game were designed to sabotage their chances.

But a rocket from Phil Foden ensured City had the last laugh as they made it to a first Champions League semi-final under Pep Guardiola.

After three successive quarter-final exits, the pressure was on the Etihad boss and his players not to fall at this stage once again and raise more questions about their European pedigree.

But with Kevin De

Bruyne driving them on,

Riyad Mahrez keeping his cool from the penalty spot and Foden capping the win with his stunning late strike, they deservedly went into the last four.

There they will meet

Paris Saint-germain, who will hold no fear for

Guardiola and City, despite the French club’s stellar squad that includes Brazil star Neymar.

City are the favourites to win the Champions League for a reason and here showed just why, coming from a goal behind and demonstrating the composure required to succeed at this exalted level.

Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan said the team needed to stay calm in the difficult spells and that they did, refusing to panic when Jude Bellingham gave Dortmund an early lead. The

first

chance of the game fell to the hosts, the ball spilling to midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud, who snatched at his 20-yard effort and sent it straight at City keeper Ederson.

But Dortmund took the lead in the 15th minute, Erling Haaland making a superb run in behind John Stones, before laying the ball off to Dahoud, whose first-time shot was blocked.

The ball span into the path of Bellingham and he took one touch before opening up his body and producing a composed finish into the top right corner, with Ederson unable to keep it out.

At 17 years and 289 days, the midfielder became the youngest Englishman to score in the Champions League. City kept their cool and began to play their way back into the game. De Bruyne smacked the bar with a ferocious strike in the 25th minute after showing great tenacity to win back the ball.

De Bruyne then tried to catch out Dortmund keeper Marwin Hitz with an angled free-kick just before the half hour mark, but Marco Reus, who scored in the first leg, was alert enough to head the ball clear.

City came close again two minutes later, Bellingham the hero at the other end when he kept out a Mahrez effort with a goal-line clearance.

Emre Can conceded a penalty in the 52nd minute, using his left arm to divert a cross from Phil Foden, with the spotkick confirmed following a lengthy VAR check.

When the original decision was verified after three minutes, Mahrez stepped up to sweep the ball into the net from the spot, level the score on the night and put City ahead on aggregate.

Mats Hummels came close to restoring Dortmund’s lead in the 69th minute, his header from a Reus free-kick clipping the top of the bar. De Bruyne had a shot saved by Hitz but there was no chance of him keeping out Foden’s stunner, hit with venom and which went in off the inside of a post.

It gave City a two-goal cushion and the breathing space they needed to make it through.

1-1 Riyad Mahrez fires home the equaliser from the penalty spot – a huge goal that allowed City to get back into the game 1-0 1-2 Erling Haaland with Dortmund’s teenage goalscorer Jude Bellingham HAD YOUR PHIL City sensation Foden after sinking Dortmund with his winner