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Real breaks last 16 hoodoo, Chelsea completes job

— PHOTO: AFP

ON A ROLL: Jose Mourinho broke Real Madrid's six-year Champions League jinx when his side crushed Lyon 3-0 on Wednesday. Here, Marcelo (centre) celebrates with teammates after scoring.

PARIS: Real Madrid ended a seven-year wait to reach the Champions League quarterfinals by beating Lyon 3-0 on Wednesday, while Chelsea drew 0-0 with FC Copenhagen to seal its progress.

Nine-time champion Real, eliminated at the last 16 stage for the last six seasons in a row, prevailed through goals from Marcelo, Lyon old- boy Karim Benzema and Angel di Maria for a 4-1 aggregate success.

“The bad run had to end sometime and it did tonight,” said Real coach Jose Mourinho, a European champion with Inter Milan last season.

“We won both games and deserved to go through as we were the better side.”

Marcelo strikes

Having secured a 1-1 draw in the first-leg, Real took the lead in the 37th minute when Brazilian left-back Marcelo skipped through the Lyon defence to score.

Benzema and Di Maria capitalised on hesitancy in the visiting back four in the second half to complete the victory — their first over Lyon in eight attempts — and nudge Real a step closer to a record 10th title.

Leading 2-0 from the first leg, Chelsea kicked off its game at Stamford Bridge within touching distance of the last eight but received a shock when Copenhagen forward Dame N'Doye curled a free-kick against the woodwork.

The English champion largely dominated the encounter, however, and came closest to a winning goal in the second period when John Obi Mikel headed against the crossbar from a Nicolas Anelka flick-on.

Draw on Friday

Real and Chelsea will discover the identities of their quarter-final opponents when the draw for the last eight is made on Friday.

Lyon found itself quickly under pressure at the Bernabeu, with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris racing from his line to deny Mesut Ozil in the fourth minute and then saving at his near post from Marcelo.

Cesar Delgado tested Iker Casillas with a low, curling strike at the other end but eight minutes before half-time the host produced a goal of real quality to seize firm control of the tie.

Marcelo scurried infield from the left flank and exchanged passes with Cristiano Ronaldo before cutting inside Cris, darting past Dejan Lovren and beating Lloris with a firm strike that the France goalkeeper could only deflect into the bottom-right corner.

Real continued to dominate in the second half, but Mourinho's men had to wait until the 66th minute for its second goal.

A long ball from Marcelo was allowed to bounce behind the Lyon centre-backs and Benzema pounced to slot the ball beneath his former colleague Lloris for his sixth goal in this season's competition.

Di Maria added a third with 14 minutes to play, gliding onto Ozil's flick and lifting the ball over Lloris, as Real avenged its elimination by Lyon at the same stage of last season's competition.

“We found ourselves up against a great team,” said Lyon coach Claude Puel.

The results:

Chelsea 0 drew with FC Copenhagen (Chelsea wins 2-0 on aggregate).

Real Madrid 3 (Marcelo 37, Benzema 66, Di Maria 76) bt Lyon. (Real Madrid wins 4-1 on aggregate).

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