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Man City ‘starting to build history’, says Pep Guardiola after Champions League win against Borussia Dortmund

Pep Guardiola reached his first UCL semi-final since 2016 – when City were also last in the final four (Friedemann Vogel - Pool/Getty Im)
Pep Guardiola reached his first UCL semi-final since 2016 – when City were also last in the final four (Friedemann Vogel - Pool/Getty Im)

Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City do not have much “history” but that his team are “starting to build it” following their Champions League quarter-final win against Borussia Dortmund.

City came from behind to beat the Bundesliga club 2-1 in Germany on Wednesday night, a week after winning by the same scoreline in Manchester.

The two results ensured a 4-2 aggregate victory for City as they reached their first semi-final in the competition since 2016. Coincidentally, that was the last time Guardiola reached the final four of the Champions League – while in charge at Bayern Munich.

“Incredibly happy. Honestly, for this club, this organisation, for our chairman, our players, of course our fans – for everyone,” the Spaniard told BT Sport at full-time after a Riyaz Mahrez penalty and Phil Foden strike had overturned Jude Bellingham’s opener.

“It’s the second time [the club] gets to the semi-finals. There’s not much history in our club here, but we start to build it.

“Incredibly happy to be in the semi-finals, the best four teams in Europe – big, strong teams. We’re going to try to arrive good and play a good game.”

Paris Saint-Germain await in the next round, with last year’s runners-up having avenged last season’s final defeat by Bayern Munich to book their place in the semi-finals.

“Semi-final, Champions League. For the second time in our history we are there with the real elite of Europe,” Guardiola continued. “Now, I don’t want to think for one second about PSG. I want to celebrate. Dinner with the staff and the team. I don’t know which wine, it will be with wine for sure.”

Dortmund took the lead through England international Bellingham on 15 minutes, the 17-year-old’s curled finish into the top corner making the midfielder the youngest ever English goalscorer in Champions League history. City equalised early in the second half when Mahrez struck from the penalty spot after Emre Can headed the ball onto his own outstretched arm.

“This competition is nice, but at the same time it’s so unfair,” Guardiola said. “We are judged... all the season is a failure, is a disaster, [even though] you play 11 months for the Premier League, the cups, for everything.

“Today it was a penalty with a hand, and maybe it could be not given. We were out for a hand against Tottenham in the quarter-finals [in 2019], so that’s why this competition depends on these situations.”

Foden netted the winner with 75 on the clock before sprinting over to his coach and hugging the Spaniard.

“He found me, he ran... I don’t know, everywhere, to the bench,” Guardiola said. “He found me. I think this hug is for all the club, all the people that are working here so hard this season to achieve what we’ve achieved so far.”

When asked what words he had for Foden during their embrace, Guardiola said: “‘Well done, good shot, good goal, so thank you.’ I don’t know what I said in that moment.

“That’s too bad, ah?” the City coach added with a smirk.

Guardiola’s side sit atop the Premier League, 11 points clear of second-placed rivals Man United with six games to play – though the Red Devils have a game in hand. City also have a Carabao Cup final against Tottenham still to play, as well as an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea this Saturday.

Guardiola, however, is still resisting talk of an unprecedented quadruple.

“We are in the Premier League, still we need three games to be champions. We are in the semi-finals in the Champions League, the semi-finals of the FA Cup, we are in the final of the Carabao Cup. Honestly, it’s incredible what we have done. Now we just recover, celebrate tonight, and after we see what happens.

“Never speak about the four titles. One game at a time – this is what we have to do, so it’s simple. There’s no complication about that. Now it’s Chelsea in the semi-finals [of the FA Cup] and prepare for Aston Villa, the final against Tottenham, and of course start to think about Paris Saint-Germain.

“One game at a time.”

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