Memorable European nights for Man City as they reach Champions League semi-final

Pep Guardiola’s side advanced to the semi-final with a 4-1 aggregate victory over Bayern Munich.

Reuben Rosso-Powell
Wednesday 19 April 2023 22:13 BST
Manchester City marched on in Europe (Matthias Schrader/AP)
Manchester City marched on in Europe (Matthias Schrader/AP) (AP)

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Manchester City made it through to the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday after a 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich sealed a 4-1 aggregate triumph.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five other memorable European evenings for the club.

Man City 2 Real Madrid 1 (City win 4-2 on aggregate) – last 16, August 7, 2020

After a gap of more than five months between the two legs of a pulsating tie due to the coronavirus pandemic, City welcomed Real Madrid to the Etihad Stadium with a 2-1 advantage from the first leg and replicated that scoreline in the second meeting.

Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus took advantage of Raphael Varane errors to strike either side of a Karim Benzema equaliser as Pep Guardiola’s men eased into the quarter-finals.

Man City 2 Paris St Germain 0 (City win 4-1 on aggregate) – semi-final, May 4, 2021

Riyad Mahrez struck twice as City reached their first Champions League final with a 2-0 victory over Mauricio Pochettino’s 10-man PSG, the Paris-born winger on target in each half as Guardiola’s side sealed a 4-1 aggregate win.

PSG threw plenty into attack as they attempted to chase the tie in unexpectedly icy conditions but Mahrez’s second just after the hour proved a killer blow, the visitors’ woes compounded by Angel Di Maria’s late dismissal for a petulant stamp on Fernandinho.

Borussia Dortmund 1 Manchester City 2 (City win 4-2 on aggregate) – quarter-final, April 14, 2021

City saw off the threat of the in-form Erling Haaland as they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at Signal Iduna Park in the quarter-finals of the 2021 competition.

A superb strike from the outstanding Jude Bellingham, then 17, saw Dortmund level the quarter-final tie on aggregate after 15 minutes of the second leg at Signal Iduna Park.

But City responded in the second half with a penalty from Mahrez and a fine effort from Phil Foden to clinch a 4-2 aggregate triumph.

Man City 2 Villarreal 1 – group game, October 18, 2011

Sergio Aguero finally ignited City’s stuttering Champions League campaign with a dramatic late winner against Villarreal securing the club’s first ever victory in the competition.

The Argentina striker tapped home in the third minute of stoppage time, completing the turnaround for Roberto Mancini’s side after a Carlos Marchena own goal had hauled City back on level terms following Cani’s early opener.

Man City 7 RB Leipzig 0 (City win 8-1 on aggregate) – last 16, March 14 2023

Haaland scored five times – including a first-half hat-trick – with Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne also getting in on the act as City ran riot to power into the last eight 8-1 on aggregate, having been held 1-1 in the opening leg at the Red Bull Arena.

The Norway striker took his tally for the campaign to a staggering 39 from 36 appearances, in the process becoming the youngest player to reach 30 goals in the Champions League, aged 22 years and 236 days.

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