Arsenal eliminated seven-time champion AC Milan from the Champions League, and Manchester United, FC Barcelona and Fenerbahce also advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition on Tuesday.
Arsenal became the first English club to beat Milan at San Siro after Cesc Fabregas scored with a 30-metre shot in the 84th minute and Emmanuel Adebayor added a second in injury time in the 2-0 win.
Arsenal advanced 2-0 on aggregate after a 0-0 draw in the first leg two weeks ago.
“We knocked the holders out and we did it with a great performance,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
“I am very proud of the players. We had been under pressure because we have dropped a few (English Premier League) points recently.”
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 30th goal of the season in all competitions to give Man United a 1-0 victory over Lyon at Old Trafford and advance 2-1 on aggregate.
“It’s fantastic for a wide player to do that,” United manager Alex Ferguson said.
“Obviously he drifts into the middle at times as he did tonight. He’s done very well and made a good contribution.”
Xavi Hernandez flicked in a cross from the left by Ronaldinho in the fourth minute to give Barcelona a 1-0 win over Celtic as the Spanish club advanced 4-2 overall.
Lionel Messi, however, left the field in tears in the 35th minute after he tore a left thigh muscle.
Fenerbahce beat Sevilla 3-2 in a penalty shootout after the teams finished 5-5 on aggregate. Sevilla won the match 3-2, but Fenerbahce had beaten the Spanish team by the same score two weeks ago.
Fenerbahce goalkeeper Volkan Demirel then made three saves in the shootout, stopping shots from Julien Escude, Enzo Maresca and Daniel Alves.
Alves scored in the fifth minute at the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan and Seydou Keita added another in the ninth for Sevilla, which won the last two UEFA Cups.
Deivid de Souza then replied for Fenerbahce in the 21st and, despite Frederic Kanoute making it 3-1 for Sevilla in the 41st, Deivid scored again for the Turkish club in the 79th.
On Wednesday, nine-time European champion Real Madrid needs to overturn AS Roma’s 2-1 advantage, German champion Schalke goes to FC Porto trailing 1-0, and Chelsea has home advantage against Olympiakos with the teams level after a 0-0 draw in Athens, Greece.
Inter Milan’s return leg against Liverpool will be played on March 11 with the Italian champions needing to overturn the five-time European winner’s 2-0 lead.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Sky Stadium is about to witness one of its greatest days. Melbourne Victory are headed east, with ambitions to topple Wellington’s Phoenix and pinch…
The football pundit raised some eyebrows given Celtic have won the league 12 out of the last 13 seasons.
Jamie Maclaren may have played his last game in Australia after the outgoing Melbourne City captain was not included in the A-League Men All…
Did Stefan Ortega save the title for Man City?
Ange was not happy after Spurs' 2-0 loss to Manchester City. He questioned the club's 'foundations' post-match.
Rodrigo Bentancur was unimpressed after being subbed off in the 55th minute of Tottenham's 2-0 loss to Manchester City.
