The Hindu : Sport / Football : AS Roma eliminates Real Madrid

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AS Roma eliminates Real Madrid

Chelsea cruises ahead; fortune favours Schalke

— Photo: AFP

SHEER BLISS: AS Roma’s Francesco Totti congratulates Mirko Vucinic after the latter netted the winner against Real Madrid.

LONDON: AS Roma knocked Real Madrid out of the UEFA Champions League football at the Bernabeu in Madrid on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals and was joined by Chelsea and Schalke 04.

Roma’s 2-1 win secured a 4-2 aggregate victory while Chelsea thrashed Olympiakos Piraeus 3-0 and Schalke beat Porto 4-1 on penalties following a 1-1 draw over two legs.

Lacking ideas

Spanish champion Real, missing injured striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, lacked ideas in midfield and bite up front but nearly took the lead early in the second half when Julio Baptista’s free kick from 25 metres hit the bar.

Real fell behind to a flying Taddei header in the 73rd minute, shortly after having central defender Pepe sent off, and Roma’s passage to the last eight was sealed by substitute Mirko Vucinic after a Raul goal had briefly restored Real’s hopes.

Raul slotted Robinho’s through ball past goalkeeper Doni in the 75th minute but Vucinic silenced the vociferous home crowd with an injury-time header as Real threw men forward.

At Stamford Bridge, Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou settled a one-sided game as Chelsea joined Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United in the last eight.

If Liverpool beats Inter Milan when it visits the Italian champion with a 2-0 first-leg lead next Tuesday then all four English teams will be through to the quarterfinals.

Schalke, having reached the knockout round for the first time in three attempts, continued its run by beating Porto, whose left back Fucile was sent off in the 82nd minute.

Mixed luck for Lisandro

Lisandro had given 2004 champion Porto a 1-0 lead on the night four minutes later with an unstoppable shot on the turn to force extra time but missed his team’s final spot kick.

The results (last 16, second leg): Real Madrid 1 (Raul 75) lost to AS Roma 2 (Taddei 73, Vucinic 90+2). Roma wins 4-2 on aggregate.

Chelsea 3 (Ballack 5, Lampard 25, Kalou 48) bt Olympiakos 0. Chelsea wins 3-0 on aggregate.

FC Porto 1 (Lisandro 86) bt Schalke 04 0. Schalke wins 4-1 on penalties after 1-1 on aggregate. — Agencies

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