Madrid, Munich into ECL quarter-finals

Champions League holders Real Madrid have cruised into the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Napoli as German giants Bayern Munich steamrollered Arsenal 5-1.

Champions League holders Real Madrid have cruised into the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Napoli, 6-2 on aggregate, as German giants Bayern Munich steamrollered Arsenal 5-1 to complete a brutal 10-2 score.

In Naples Dries Mertens struck in the 24th minute to net the opening goal and turn up the pressure on the visitors but Madrid captain Sergio Ramos scored two headers to give his team a commanding lead in the tie, with Alvaro Morata adding another in stoppage time.

"We played a lot in our own half (at first); later we were a lot better, pressing and having more of the ball," said Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.

"We can't always do things well, there are moments a stadium like this is difficult. In the second half we were better and we won the ball in their half more, we knew how to kill the game."

Napoli forward Mertens slotted home from close range after Marek Hamsik found him with a low pass, stoking up an already red-hot atmosphere in the San Paolo.

Cristiano Ronaldo hit the post for Real Madrid as the Spaniards searched for the equaliser before Mertens was denied his second by the woodwork as well, firing a low effort off the far post and wide.

However Madrid put in a professional second-half display, helped by Ramos leading the way, netting in the 51st and 57th minute to end the hosts' hopes of making a comeback.

"It was my 100th game in the Champions League and I wanted to help with goals at a key moment. We suffered," he explained.

In London Bayern came from behind to humiliate Arsenal by inflicting their biggest home defeat for 19 years.

The game hinged on Laurent Koscielny's controversial send off after Theo Walcott had sent the Gunners ahead after skipping past two defenders and breaking into the area in the 20th minute.

The defender brought down Robert Lewandowski and was harshly given his marching orders in the 53rd minute, with the Pole converting the penalty before Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa struck and then Arturo Vidal piled on the misery with a late brace.

Like in the first leg the defender's departure, then through injury, cost the English side, who couldn't handle Bayern's rampant attack.

Despite the huge aggregate defeat, Wenger insisted his side played well.

"I feel we produced the game we wanted and we were really unlucky with some of the decisions. It's really hard to understand," the Frenchman said.

Barcelona next host PSG and Benfica head to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.


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Source: AAP



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