Guardiola sent off as Salah sends Liverpool into semi-finals

Manchester: Mohamed Salah ensured Liverpool's return to the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in a decade as a 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday took them through 5-1 on aggregate and ended Manchester City's European dream for another season.

On a night of high frustration for free-spending City, manager Pep Guardiola was sent off at half-time for taking his furious protests towards Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz too far.

City led the quarter-final, second leg 1-0 on the night at that stage after Gabriel Jesus's second-minute opener, but the hosts felt aggrieved after Leroy Sane had a second goal wrongly disallowed just before the break.

Salah ensured there was to be no stunning comeback when he coolly chipped home his 39th goal of the season 11 minutes into the second half before Roberto Firmino sealed a comprehensive aggregate triumph for the five-time winners.

Guardiola admitted beforehand that his side needed the "perfect" performance and the hosts got the perfect start as they opened the scoring after just 117 seconds.

Liverpool were unhappy at Mateu Lahoz in what was to be the start of a controversial night for the Spaniard when Virgil van Dijk claimed he had been pushed by Raheem Sterling in the lead-up to the goal.

The referee was unmoved, though, and with the Dutchman out of position, Fernandinho's through ball found Sterling and his low cross was swept home by Jesus.

Liverpool fans would have been forgiven if memories of their 5-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season came flooding back.