JAKARTA - Pep Guardiola has called Manchester City's success in reaching this season's Champions League semi-finals a step in their continued efforts to build on The Citizens' history.
City qualified for the semi-finals after beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the second leg of the quarter-finals at Signal Iduna Park in Germany on Wednesday local time (Thursday WIB), which saw Guardiola's side double their aggregate score to 4-2.
It was the first time Guardiola had led City to the Champions League semi-finals, as well as the Manchester team's second appearance in the top four after 2015/16 when manuel Pellegrini was still in charge.
Huuge wiiin 💙🎱 Incredibly happy to reach the @championsleague semi finals after a big fight over 180 minutes 💪🏼⚽⭐ pic.twitter.com/gAEDWsjbUG
— Ilkay Gündogan (@IlkayGuendogan) 14 April 2021
"We are very, very happy to be in the semi-finals, to be part of the four best teams in Europe," Guardiola said after the match to TV station BT Sport as quoted by Antara from UEFA's official website.
"It feels amazing. It's the second time we've reached the semi-finals, so our club doesn't have a long history, but we'll keep working on building it," he added.
City will meet Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, while Real Madrid face Chelsea in the other semi-final. Among the semi-finalists, only City have never tasted champions league finals.
Guardiola praised the prowess of his team's performance in the last half hour of both quarter-final matches against Dortmund.
"The way we played in 30 minutes in both legs was incredible. We showed the character of this team, kept flowing the ball and did it very successfully," he said.
In the first leg at the Etihad on Tuesday, 6 April, City won dramatically through Foden's goal at the end of normal time to restore the lead that Marco Reus had reciprocated.
Then, in the second leg, City, who had been behind since the 15th minute due to Jude Bellingham's goal, equalised through Riyad Mahrez's penalty before Foden was again the hero of The Citizens' victory.
The full schedule of the first and second leg of the semi-final between City and PSG will be announced by UEFA on Thursday evening.
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