Lyon screw Real Madrid Dreams

Cristiano Ronaldo could not prevent Real Madrid from crashing out of the Champions League after a 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu saw Lyon progress to the last eight 2-1 on aggregate.

The Portuguese lashed in an early opener as Real went on the attack for the remainder of the first half.
However a half-time reshuffle by Claude Puel paid dividends as Miralem Pjanic crashed home to leave the home side needing two goals in the final 15 minutes they barely threatened to score.
The first chance of the evening arrived less than a minute in, Kaka's shot from an angle on the right blocked close up by Lyon keeper Hugo Lloris.
Lyon barely touched the ball before Ronaldo hit the back of the net. Guti, recalled to the starting XI due to the absence of Xabi Alonso, sent a long raking ball down the left for the jet-heeled attacker to chase into the box.
From quite a wide position he shot low and hard and the otherwise imperious Lloris suffered the ignominy of the ball flying through his legs as he went to ground at the near post.
Real, who executed a stunning comeback against Sevilla in Madrid on Saturday, went looking for more. Kaka bent a shot from the left that stung Lloris's palms and Esteban Granero sent in cross after cross as Lyon struggled to get a touch, but managed to shore up their backline.
Los Merengues were in one of those moods and should have made it two through striker Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentina star, flawless at times this season, went past Lloris and into the box following a through-ball; with Jean-Alain Boumsong unable to get back, he contrived to strike the near post with his effort.
Three minutes on Higuain was denied by Lloris from inside the box with Ronaldo free square of him for an open goal. Kaka had laid on the chance with a lovely flick inside.

Jean Makoun flailed at a cross when Lyon orchestrated a rare attack and Les Gones were fortunate to go in at the break only a goal down and level on aggregate.
That result would have led to extra time, and for most of the second half that seemed the most likely outcome. However at its beginning question marks hung over Lyon's chances as the impressive Boumsong was withdrawn, with Jeremy Toulalan dropping back to sweep up behind the dominant Cris.
It was like watching two entirely different sides playing the second 45 minutes. Cesar Delgado, tireless in his defensive duties in the first half, began to get forward more and more, while substitute Kim Kallstrom also worked well out wide.
Twenty-year-old Maxime Gonalons, also a half-time introduction, headed the first chance over while soon after frustrated striker Lisandro Lopez unleashed a fearsome drive that Iker Casillas beat away.
Whenever Madrid ventured towards the box the ball was taken from them, while Lyon built patiently from deep to unnerve home fans mindful that their club had been knocked out at this stage for each of the past five seasons.
The apprehension morphed into full-blown anxiety when Lyon snatched the vital away goal. Delgado played a pass to the feet of Lisandro, lurking in the area, and his tee-up for Pjanic was not left disappointed by excellent control and a thunderous finish.
There was an aborted fightback as Lyon cleared a couple of corners following the arrival of Champions League record scorer Raul for Kaka, and as Real became increasingly undisciplined, Lisandro raced through only to screw his shot wide with all the time in the world.
Delgado then skied a further one-on-one in injury-time, but it did not matter: Real were down and out as Lyon recorded a famous European triumph.

Manchester United demolish Milan by four

A brace from Wayne Rooney sealed a 4-0 victory and an emphatic 7-2 aggregate scoreline as Manchester United romped past Milan at Old Trafford to clinch their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Rooney gave United the lead in just the 13th minute with a sublime glancing header, and the England forward netted his 30th goal of the season with a deft finish seconds after half-time to stun the visitors.
David Beckham was confined to the Milan bench from the outset, but the former United midfielder had to wait until his side were 3-0 down before he was introduced after Park Ji-Sung slammed a fierce shot beyond Christian Abbiati just before the hour-mark.
Darren Fletcher capped an imperious display from the English champions with a fourth goal in the 88th minute, and Milan and Beckham were left utterly shell-shocked at the final whistle.
Rooney almost gave the hosts the lead in the fourth minute as he swivelled on the edge of the Milan box to latch on to Antonio Valencia's cut back and fired a low shot which he dragged narrowly wide of Christian Abbiati's near post.
Milan were hardly subdued at the other end, as Andrea Pirlo whipped over a devilish delivery in the eighth minute which Nani inadvertently flicked over to Ronaldinho, but the Brazilian's header drifted narrowly wide.
Two minutes later, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who flanked Marco Borriello along with Ronaldinho, stole in at the back post beyond Patrice Evra to receive Thiago Silva's raking diagonal pass from the back, but his first touch was sloppy as the ball evaded him.
Neville was preferred to Rafael at right-back for United, and Sir Alex Ferguson's decision was vindicated as the skipper picked out Rooney with a pinpoint cross from the right as United stamped their authority on the match in the 13th minute.
Rooney's exquisitely-timed run caught Daniele Bonera napping as the forward climbed above his marker to glance a deft finish beyond a helpless Abbiati and score his third headed goal in the tie.

Milan looked devoid of ideas in attack as they sought to redress the balance of the tie and, as Ronaldinho and Huntelaar were dragged outwide to gain possession, Borriello was left increasingly isolated and stifled for space.
Veteran midfielder Clarence Seedorf was introduced at half-time as the Rossoneri looked to inject some impetus into their midfield, but it was United who began the half in sparkling fashion.
Nani surged down the left wing at blistering pace before the Portugese's precise cut back was dabbed past the onrushing Abbiati by Rooney with the utmost swagger and composure.
Milan were left horribly exposed as their three-pronged attack offered about as much defensively as they did in forward areas, and United capitalised in the 59th minute to kill the tie.
Paul Scholes found Park in behind Marek Jankulovski, and the midfielder's low shot fizzed into the bottom corner to make it three in the 59th minute as the hosts were rampant.
Then ensued a procession of substitutions as both managers recognised that the tie had been effectively decided, and the first to make his entrance was Beckham, to a standing ovation from the Old Trafford crowd.
Rooney was withdrawn to a rapturous reception as the forward was denied a potential second hat-trick, and Paul Scholes and Neville departed swiftly afterwards.
The evening was capped off by Fletcher in the 88th minute as the midfielder capitalised on more shoddy defending by the visitors to turn home Rafael's deep cross and make it four.
United swagger through to the quarter-finals after humbling Milan over the two legs, as Rooney yet again established himself as one of the world's most potent attacking forces.

Robin helps Bayern to progress

Fiorentina won 3-2 but still crashed out of the Champions League as Bayern Munich sealed their quarter-final spot on away goals at the Artemio Franchi.

Bayern suffered their first defeat in 19 games, but thanks to stunning strikes from Arjen Robben (pictured) and Mark van Bommel, the German side progressed at the expense of a valiant effort from the Viola as the tie ended 4-4 on aggregate.
Bayern assumed a slender 2-1 lead from the first leg at the Allianz Arena as Miroslav Klose's controversial offside winner separated the sides, but the German side's advantage was eroded as early as the 28th minute.
Vargas unfurled an emphatic finish from a tight angle on the left after Marco Marchionni's speculative drive from range stung the palms of Hans-Jorg Butt, who parried the ball away poorly into the path of the midfielder.
Stevan Jovetic made it two in the 54th minute with a clinical finish from Alberto Gilardino's exquisite flick, but Mark van Bommel unleashed an impeccably-struck shot which arrowed into the bottom corner on the hour mark to reduce the deficit.
Jovetic played a slick one-two with Gilardino before he netted his brace to restore the hosts' two-goal cushion in the 64th minute, only for Arjen Robben to curl a sublime finish into the top corner of the net from 25 yards just 74 seconds later.
Cesare Prandelli's side dominated the early possession in Florence as the Gigliati sought to exploit a howling gale which was in their favour in the first half, which they duly did through Vargas's clinical finish.
Butt was entirely at fault for gifting the opener to the Peruvian, but the goalkeeper saved superbly in the 15th minute as the midfielder's cross took a vicious deflection off Daniel Van Buyten's hand. The hosts appealed vehemently for a penalty, but to no avail.
Arjen Robben had a glorious opportunity to equalise in the 34th minute, but Sebastien Frey tipped the Dutchman's close-range volley over the crossbar to preserve the hosts' lead.

Bastian Schweinsteiger was booked for fending off Jovetic with a flailing arm in the 23rd minute, but it could easily have been a red card as the midfielder shrugged off his opponent in a reckless fashion.
Robben was made to pay for his profligacy as Vargas surged down the left and capitalised on some shoddy keeping by Butt to locate the top corner of the net and open the scoring.
Bayern striker Mario Gomes was anonymous in the opening half-hour before he was forced to depart after sustaining an injury, and Klose was handed another opportunity to make an impact in the tie.
Robben, who adopted a strarting berth on the right wing, should have restored the visitors' aggregate advantage as he stole in at close range to latch on to Van Bommel's through ball, but his volley was wild and straight at Frey who made a fine reflex save.
Fiorentina's 14-goal marksman Gilardino should have doubled his side's lead in the 50th minute after he latched on to Cristiano Zanetti's cross from the right, only for Butt to make a stunning save from point-blank range.
But four minutes later, Fiorentina doubled their lead as another cross from Zanetti was turned into the path of Jovetic courtesy of a deft touch by Gilardino, and the midfielder lashed his shot past Butt to further exert the hosts' dominance.
Bayern were undeterred, however, and Van Bommel struck a hammer blow with the away goal after a perfectly-placed low shot which fizzed unerringly past Frey from range.
Jovetic grabbed his second after a delightful exchange with Gilardino inside the Bayern box and a neat finish as Butt was beaten for a third time just after the hour mark.
But again Bayern responded in emphatic fashion as Robben cut inside from his role out on the right and let fly with a stunning strike to beat Frey and once again redress the balance of the tie.
Fiorentina pressed forward incessantly as Bayern sat deep, soaked up the hosts' advances and broke forward through Robben and Ribery.
The German side never looked entirely convincing at the back, but Louis van Gaal's side clung on to clinch the tie on away goals and leave the Artemio Franchi in stunned silence.

Arsenal brilliance Porto 5-0

A Nicklas Bendtner hat-trick helped Arsenal thrash Porto 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium to triumph 6-2 on aggregate and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

Bendtner grabbed both first-half goals before a moment of brilliance from Samir Nasri and finish from substitute Emmanuel Eboue ended a nervous opening to the second period.
And Bendtner, who came under fire at the weekend for missing several chances against Burnley, secured his first career treble from the penalty spot in injury-time.
It was the most emphatic way for the tall Dane to answer his critics: not only demonstrating again the art of being in the right place at the right time, but also finishing almost every opportunity that fell his way.
Yet there were greater stars shining for the Gunners on an uplifting night in North London. Mercurial Russian Andrei Arshavin put the opening strikes on a plate as well as the fourth for Eboue, while Nasri had a hand in the first and stunned the 60,000 crowd with a wonderful run and strike to seal the tie.
Arshavin could have opened the scoring with a header from a Bacary Sagna cross only eight minutes in, Helton providing the first of many impressive saves despite the unflattering scoreline.
A minute later it was 1-0. Arshavin wandered back from an offside position as Manuel Almunia launched a ball forward from outside his box, climbed to win a header back to Nasri and spun off; when the inevitable through-ball came a three-way tussle between Arshavin, Helton and Jorge Fucile saw the ball run loose - and Bendtner was lurking to finish.
Arshavin likes to come inside and curl into the corner, but Porto, well aware of this, showed him the outside throughout. Undeterred he powered to the by-line and squared out of Helton reach, but his cross beat everybody.
Three minutes on, in the 25th, he did it again. Right-back Fucile turned in from the touchline, frustrated that the ball would not run out, and his poor ball was gathered by the Russian who ambled through two weak tackles before delivering the same run and cross - and this time Bendtner arrived with perfect timing to sidefoot home.

Even great players have lapses, and so it proved with Arshavin guilty of firing over with an open goal at his mercy following a deep cross by Sagna.
Porto began to attack more frequently, with Hulk disappointing with a near-post cross when Ruben Micael was unmarked for the pull-back.
Helton kept his side in the tie with a pair of saves in the corner from Bendtner and Thomas Vermaelen, and, with Cristian Rodriguez introduced at the break, the Portuguese club had Arsenal worried for a time with their best spell of football.
Arsene Wenger was angry on the touchline as Falcao began to make inroads in attack and Jesualdo Ferreira's men won a succession of corners.
Almunia blocked a first-time Falcao strike and Nasri cleared off the line following a Rodriguez header while at the other end Arshavin forced Helton into a desperate double save with a lovely volley from outside the area.
On 63 minutes the tie was effectively sealed. Nasri turned away from goal on the right touchline, looking for a pass, and seeing none turned back again; he shimmied his way past Raul Meireles, Bruno Alves and Rodriguez before rocketing a low shot in off the far post from a tight angle.
Arsenal added another less than three minutes later when Arshavin brushed off Fucile following an away corner, ran 40 yards and fed an ideal ball onwards for the intelligent run of Eboue, who had replaced Tomas Rosicky.
With Helton rushing out, the Ivorian took the ball to one side and finished past the despairing dive of a defender.
The Gunners were on easy street from there on in, their fans cheering their keep-ball strategy and Falcao left chasing shadows every 10 minutes when a ball came near him.
The match was given a glorious ending when Eboue raced into the box, drawing a tackle from behind from the unfortunate Fucile.
Helton went the right way but Bendtner, whose name had been sung by the home fans throughout the second half, responded to a renewed chant by dispatching it firmly into his left-hand bottom corner.