Lack of European success at the Etihad has regularly been held against him, but his side produced a stunning performance to see off Borussia Dortmund.
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 leveled the aggregate score 2-2, with Dortmund ahead on away goals.
City backed up their 2-1 first-leg win with another victory by the same scoreline, but they were made to work.
Goals from Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden finally ended Dortmund’s hopes of advancing, bringing City’s manager level with the Special One in the process.
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.
Pep Guardiola shared an emotional moment with goal scorer Phil Foden as Manchester City ended its run of failure in the Champions League quarterfinals Wednesday.
Guardiola reached the semifinals with City at the fifth attempt, matching the club’s best ever result under his predecessor Manuel Pellegrini in 2016. City goes on to face Paris Saint-Germain.
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.
