madristar

credit to denise 22

Barcelona 2-1 Getafe A stunning Dani Alves strike and a deflected Bojan Krkic effort gave Barcelona victory at home to Getafe. Alves opened the scoring after 16 minutes with a majestic volley from 22 yards and Bojan added a second goal early in the second period. But the Catalans suffered a few nervy moments at the death after Manu del Moral's late strike gave Getafe brief hope. Barcelona, paired with Shakhtar Donetsk in yesterday's Champions League quarter-final draw, were without captain Carles Puyol, Spain forward Pedro and France full-back Eric Abidal. Abidal underwent surgery on Thursday to remove a tumour on his liver. Both teams paid tribute to the full-back before kick-off as they appeared with T-shirts bearing messages of support to the Frenchman. Abidal, Barcelona's number 22, was also cheered by the Catalan fans in the 22nd minute of each half. Lionel Messi almost gave the home side the lead with an impressive overhead kick after seven minutes, but the Argentinian - improvising with his back to goal - saw his effort saved by Getafe goalkeeper Jordi Codina. Bojan then shot wide after he was set up by Xavi, but Barcelona took the lead moments later when Alves struck a thunderous shot which gave Codina no chance. The Brazilian right-back, yet to agree a new contract with the Catalan club, flexed his muscles and kissed his biceps in front of a roaring Nou Camp crowd. A chorus of "Alves, Alves" rang around the stadium, but five minutes later, Barcelona's fans then remembered their other full-back as they saluted Abidal. Xavi almost made it 2-0 with a low, mis-hit effort later in the half which drifted just wide, while David Villa was guilty of missing two great chances to double the lead before the interval. At the other end, Getafe had their moments as well and Victor Valdes had to be alert to save from Javier Casquero after half an hour. The second half started brightly for Barcelona and for Bojan, playing his 100th league match for the club. The 20-year-old striker, in for the injured Pedro, made it two goals in two games as he was set up by Messi and scored with a deflected shot which left Codina wrong-footed. Bojan and Villa had seen penalty shouts turned down in the first half and both were heavily involved in Barcelona's play. Neither looked convincing, however, and even Messi was quiet by his exceptional standards. Nevertheless, Barcelona looked largely comfortable, and they would have been more so had Villa converted two decent opportunities late on. It was another off-colour performance from the Spain striker and the home side could have been made to pay for that late on. Manu was left all alone to sweep home a fine effort on the volley from 10 yards with three minutes left, and the striker's goal appeared merely a consolation. That was how it turned out, although Barcelona were forced to scrap in defence as Getafe sought a leveller in added time.

Guardiola praises Barca resilience Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola praised the reaction of his players after a difficult week as they beat Getafe. The club was rocked earlier in the week by the news that left-back Eric Abidal had a tumour on his liver. The Frenchman successfully underwent surgery on Thursday to remove the tumour, but Guardiola was concerned by how his players would perform following the concerning distraction. "It has been a tough week for everyone," Guardiola said. "You never know how the players react, but they were fantastic and I'm really happy with the performance." Barcelona won 2-1 thanks to goals from Dani Alves and Bojan Krkic, but David Villa missed several good chances to put the Catalans out of reach before Manu del Moral's late strike gave Getafe brief hope. Barcelona and Getafe paid tribute to Abidal as they came out with T-shirts dedicated to the France full-back, while the home fans cheered the defender's name in the 22nd minute - he wears the number 22 - of each half. Guardiola said the French player is recovering well. "The surgery went well and the doctors are happy," Guardiola said. "He is recovering well and he is with his family - we hope he can come and visit us at our training ground in about 10 days." Alves opened the scoring with a wonderful volley after 16 minutes and Guardiola hopes the full-back will soon sign a new deal to remain at the Nou Camp. "It was an amazing goal by Dani and he is a very important player for us," Guardiola said. "He wants to stay and I am sure it will be sorted out." Guardiola also defended Villa following another lucklustre performance from the Spain striker. "The players don't miss on purpose," he said. "My players give everything and they want to score - I am very happy with how we played." While speaking at the press conference, Guardiola watched title rivals Real Madrid go 2-0 up before half-time in the league's late match at Atletico. "They are very strong and the league will go all the way until the end of the season," Guardiola said.

Ronaldo: I am not 100 percent fit Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he is suffering from an injury. Ronaldo was substituted in the 72nd minute against Atletico Madrid on Saturday - a game in which Real managed to get a nervy 2-1 win. Although the winger was one of Real's most threatening players, he revealed after the game that was not fully fit. In comments reported on the club's official website, Ronaldo said: "The team played very well in a complicated match, especially in the second half, during which we felt exhaustion. I was very nervous while watching the game from the bench when the score was 2-1 because I'm not used to following a game from there." "I'm not 100% fit and it was a difficult game for me. Those who know me could tell I wasn't myself during the match, especially in the second half. I think I've got an injury of some sort. We'll see what shows up in the scan." Real's win meant the kept pace with Barcelona at the top of La Liga. Barca won by an identical score against Getafe on Saturday and Real defender Pepe believes his side still have a chance to win the La Liga trophy this season. "We played a very serious game and we had a great start with two goals. The team faced the challenge and knew how to suffer. We dropped our performance somewhat in the second half because we were tired. It is hard to prepare for such a complicated match in just two days [after the Champions League game against Lyon on Wednesday]," he said. "The next two months will be intense. We will try to live up to the challenge and thrill the fans. We will fight to the end while there's still a chance to win the league. The coach and our supporters ask us to do this." "Iker is a great goalkeeper and he's always there to help us. Benzema does a very good job and is having a great goal scoring streak. His confidence is high." "Our tie with Tottenham Hotspur [in the Champions League quarter-final] will be difficult. We'll have to be in top form to reach the next round. We will do our best to reach the final, which is important for everyone at Real Madrid." "We will play a great Copa del Rey final against Barcelona. Everyone will be watching" April will be the defining month for Real and Jose Mourinho as they continue to fight for trophies on three fronts.

Mourinho hails weary Real players Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho heaped praise on his exhausted team after seeing them edge past local rivals Atletico Madrid. First-half goals form the in-form Karim Benzema and Mesut Ozil set Real on their way and, although Sergio Aguero pulled a goal back to Atletico with four minutes to go, it was too little too late to save the Rojiblancos from another derby disappointment. The result means Real remain unbeaten against their neighbours since 1999 and have won all four meetings with Atletico this season, having also beaten them home and away in the Copa del Rey. The victory also allowed Mourinho's side to keep within five points of Barcelona, who defeated Getafe earlier on Saturday. It was not an easy night for Real at the Vicente Calderon though and, having had an emotionally draining Champions League clash against Lyon on Wednesday when the Whites finally made it through to the quarter-finals after six successive last-16 exits, Mourinho admitted fatigue had been a problem. "They had a week to prepare for the duel and us, two days. The team was tired. I was also tired and I'm the coach," said the Portuguese, who has been highly critical of the scheduling of his side's matches recently. "The second half was difficult. We couldn't hit them on the counter-attack. "I changed Cristiano (Ronaldo) and Benzema, but Ozil had to stay on. We defended as well as possible and we achieved an important derby win." Ronaldo was a fitness doubt ahead of the game having been sidelined with a hamstring injury before playing 70 minutes in the European triumph over Lyon. Mourinho opted to start the Portugal international against Atletico before replacing him in the 72nd minute. "I would like to have rested him, but I didn't want the championship to end today and Cristiano Ronaldo is very important to us. It was a risk to play him, but you need to live day to day," Mourinho said. "Today he hurts and tomorrow the doctors will examine him. Then we'll see if he goes away with Portugal (on international duty). They are all tired, physically and mentally." Mourinho also hailed the performance goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who made a string of impressive saves to keep Atletico at bay before finally being beaten by Aguero near the end. "Casillas has done a fantastic job. I like it when my goalkeeper doesn't have much to do in a game, and he had a lot to do tonight and he was fantastic," said Mourinho. "Atletico have shown their great spirit and quality of play, and Madrid had an answer to those who thought that the league finished today. "I was very worried (about a late equaliser), but at the same time I was full of trust in the players' mentality and fighting spirit. "I know football and many things happen in the last minutes and change the result. But they fought, they gave everything and I'm pleased for the players." Mourinho was less impressed by the insults and abuse hurled at Ronaldo and Marcelo from the home fans though, saying: "This is a fantastic stadium to play football in with an atmosphere we would like to have at every ground, but the insults are not good or positive and they spoil a great ground. "There needs to be respect for the players and their families."

Atletico Madrid 1-2 Real Madrid Karim Benzema was again on the mark to help Real Madrid continue their long-standing domination of city rivals Atletico Madrid. Benzema struck his 10th goal from his last eight appearances to put Madrid ahead early on and Mesut Ozil added a second before the break to leave Real, who have not lost to Atletico home or away since 1999, in control. Sergio Aguero pulled a goal back for Atletico in the 86th minute to give the hosts hope but it was not enough to deny Jose Mourinho's men, who cut Barcelona's lead back to five points after the Catalan club had beaten Getafe earlier in the evening. Atletico, meanwhile, missed the chance to provisionally move level with sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao after seeing their five-match unbeaten run come to an end. Real have made a habit of scoring early goals in this fixture in recent years and they enjoyed another barnstorming start. It took them just 46 seconds to create their first opening, Benzema slicing a shot wide, and then Cristiano Ronaldo and Sami Khedira drew saves out of David De Gea. Lassana Diarra then inexplicably opted to cut the ball back with just De Gea to beat. The home side's luck ran out 60 seconds after that though as Real took a deserved lead. Khedira's sublime pass put Benzema through on the edge of the box and the flying Frenchman left De Gea with no chance as fired in his 21st goal of the season in all competitions. At that stage it looked like being an uncomfortably long night for Atletico, but the Rojiblancos fought back well and for the next 15 minutes it was Iker Casillas who had all the worries. The Spain captain was called on to tip over efforts from Jose Antonio Reyes - twice - and Diego Godin, while Aguero drew a diving save out of the World Cup winner. Atletico could not make a breakthrough however, and they fell 2-0 behind in the 33rd minute when Ozil netted. Ronaldo felt he should have been awarded a penalty but play continued and Marcelo picked up possession out wide, cut the ball back to Ozil on the edge of the box and the German found the roof of the net with a shot that De Gea got a hand to but could not keep out. Aguero was booked soon after for diving in the area, and Ronaldo twice went close to adding a third for Real before the break as the visitors turned the screw. It was looking bleak for Atletico at half-time, but they refused to go down without a fight and were well on top at the start of the second half. Diego Forlan fired into the side-netting with an effort that had some home fans celebrating, before a Mario Suarez thunderbolt brought another save out of Casillas. Aguero then had Atletico's clearest chance of the night up to that point when he was put through by Reyes in the 54th minute, but Casillas produced another superb save to deny the Argentina international. As in the first half though, Atletico could find no way through and Real were increasingly looking dangerous on the counter-attack with Ozil and Ronaldo missing chances. With time running out, Atletico finally managed to pull a goal back when Aguero fired a low shot past Casillas, but Quique Sanchez Flores' men could not find an equaliser as they slumped to their fourth competitive defeat to Real this season.

Real, Barcelona record wins Karim Benzema and Mesut Ozil scored as Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid to keep up the pressure on leaders Barcelona. Benzema struck his 10th goal from his last eight appearances to put Madrid ahead early on and Mesut Ozil added a second before the break to leave Real, who have not lost to Atletico home or away since 1999, in control. Sergio Aguero pulled a goal back for Atletico in the 86th minute to give the hosts hope but it was not enough to deny Jose Mourinho's men, who cut Barcelona's lead back to five points after the Catalan club had beaten Getafe 2-1 earlier in the evening. Atletico, meanwhile, missed the chance to provisionally move level with sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao after seeing their five-match unbeaten run come to an end. A stunning Dani Alves strike and a deflected Bojan Krkic effort gave Barca victory against Getafe at the Nou Camp. Alves opened the scoring after 16 minutes with a majestic volley from 22 yards and Bojan added a second early in the second period. But the Catalans suffered a few nervy moments at the death after Manu del Moral's late strike gave Getafe brief hope. Elsewhere, Real Zaragoza came back to earth with a bump as they lost to Real Mallorca and finished the match with 10 men. Coach Javier Aguirre had warned his players not to get carried away in the wake of their 4-0 thumping of Valencia last weekend, but his warning went unheeded as they suffered a defeat that leaves them looking over their shoulders towards the relegation zone. Jonathan De Guzman got the goal in the 65th minute, finding the net with a free-kick from the edge of the area that came as a result of Antonio Doblas handling outside the area, earning himself an early shower. It was a deserved win for Mallorca, who dominated for most of the game and now look to be safe from the drop.

Real, Barcelona record wins Karim Benzema and Mesut Ozil scored as Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid to keep up the pressure on leaders Barcelona. Benzema struck his 10th goal from his last eight appearances to put Madrid ahead early on and Mesut Ozil added a second before the break to leave Real, who have not lost to Atletico home or away since 1999, in control. Sergio Aguero pulled a goal back for Atletico in the 86th minute to give the hosts hope but it was not enough to deny Jose Mourinho's men, who cut Barcelona's lead back to five points after the Catalan club had beaten Getafe 2-1 earlier in the evening. Atletico, meanwhile, missed the chance to provisionally move level with sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao after seeing their five-match unbeaten run come to an end. A stunning Dani Alves strike and a deflected Bojan Krkic effort gave Barca victory against Getafe at the Nou Camp. Alves opened the scoring after 16 minutes with a majestic volley from 22 yards and Bojan added a second early in the second period. But the Catalans suffered a few nervy moments at the death after Manu del Moral's late strike gave Getafe brief hope. Elsewhere, Real Zaragoza came back to earth with a bump as they lost to Real Mallorca and finished the match with 10 men. Coach Javier Aguirre had warned his players not to get carried away in the wake of their 4-0 thumping of Valencia last weekend, but his warning went unheeded as they suffered a defeat that leaves them looking over their shoulders towards the relegation zone. Jonathan De Guzman got the goal in the 65th minute, finding the net with a free-kick from the edge of the area that came as a result of Antonio Doblas handling outside the area, earning himself an early shower. It was a deserved win for Mallorca, who dominated for most of the game and now look to be safe from the drop.

Real Madrid’s Kaka has called for fans to pray for Eric Abidal as players rallied around the Barcelona defender, who has been diagnosed with a liver tumour. France international Abidal, 31, will go in for surgery on Friday and Kaka was one of many stars to pay tribute to a rival. “What sad news about Eric Abidal, tumour in the liver!” Kaka, a committed Christian, said on Twitter. “Let’s pray for him. God bless!!” Real team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo also commented on the news, tweeting: “I hope it all goes well with Abidal, and that he gets back soon.” Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, whose team went out to Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League and has been linked with a return to his hometown club, said: “Much encouragement and a lot of strength to Eric Abidal. Bad news for football.” Barca announced the news on Tuesday night. Abidal joined Barca from Lyon in 2007 and has made over 140 appearances for the club in all competitions. Many sports betting sites have stated that they expect Abidal’s season to end prematurely after the operation.

Real Madrid 3-0 Lyon (4-1 on agg.) Real Madrid progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in seven years after beating Lyon 3-0. Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria struck the goals as Madrid put to bed their miserable record of having fallen at this same last-16 stage for six successive editions - including against Lyon last season. The victory also means Madrid are a step closer to winning a record 10th European title, and keeps coach Jose Mourinho on course to conquer Europe with three different teams following his success with Porto and then Inter Milan last year. Madrid started in frenetic fashion and Hugo Lloris did well to deny Mesut Ozil and Marcelo before Sami Khedira headed a corner against the post, although he was penalised for his challenge on the Lyon goalkeeper. The home side were unable to continue that early dominance though, and Lyon gradually started to enjoy more possession and they gave Madrid a scare in the 21st minute when Cesar Delgado brought a diving parry out of Iker Casillas. Madrid were back on the attack soon after that and Cristiano Ronaldo - back in the side following a two-match absence due to injury - drew a brilliant diving save out of Lloris with a thunderous strike. However, where Madrid's much-vaunted attackers were unable to find a way through, full-back Marcelo succeeded in the 37th minute to put Mourinho's men ahead. The Brazil international charged forward from his left-back berth, played a one-two with Ronaldo on the edge of the area, superbly cut inside sliding Lyon defender Dejan Lovren and thumped a shot past Lloris, who got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out. That was the breakthrough Madrid were seeking, and in-form striker Benzema almost made it 2-0 moments later with a well-struck effort that produced another great finger-tip save from Lloris. In Madrid's very next attack Benzema found the back of the net with a header but the former Lyon striker, who had netted eight times in his previous six games, saw his celebrations cut short by an offside flag. Lyon coach Claude Puel introduced Bafetimbi Gomis, the French side's goalscorer in the 1-1 first leg draw, at half-time, but it was Madrid who continued to make most of the running in the second period. Benzema (twice) and Sergio Ramos both went close before the former continued his fine scoring form by making it 2-0 in the 65th minute. Marcelo's long ball over the top was latched onto by the £30million striker and he slotted his shot through the legs of Lloris. Benzema was then denied by the Lyon custodian as Madrid sought a third, before Casillas was finally called into action again in the 71st minute to parry a well-struck Gomis shot which almost dropped inside the far post. A goal then would have given Lyon hope, but within four minutes they were 3-0 down and on their way out of the competition. Ozil's header put Di Maria through and the Argentina winger coolly dinked his shot over Lloris to seal Madrid's 25th successive home win in all competitions and, more importantly, a berth in the last eight of the Champions League at long last.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Bring on anyone! Cristiano Ronaldo insists Real Madrid have no fear over who they draw in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Friday. The Los Blancos reached the last-eight for the first time in seven years after beating French nemesis Lyon 3-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday. Ronaldo, who started the match despite just recovering from an injury, has issued a 'bring it on' message to the rest of the quarter-finalists, which include the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Tottenham, Schalke and Shakhtar Donetsk. "Any opponent will be tough in the quarter-finals," said the 26-year-old, according to Madrid's official website. "We should respect all of them because they're in the quarter-finals for a reason." The Portuguese also admitted he was determined to help his side end the Champions League last-16 voodoo and did so despite his injury. "I stretched it, but what matters is that I didn't get injured," said Ronaldo. "I wanted to play because if Real Madrid fell, I would too. "The coach asked me if I felt fine and I told him I did. I talked to doctors and physiotherapists I trust and they said I wouldn't risk getting injured. "Nevertheless, it was obvious I've missed 14 days." The Champions League quarter-final draw will be held on Friday at the UEFA HQ in Nyon, Switzerland at 12.00CET.

Real Madrid vs Lyon Player Ratings Real Madrid finally made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a classy 3-0 win over Lyon. Real Madrid Iker Casillas - 5.5 Did not have much to do as Lyon struggled to get beyond the final third regularly. Pepe - 5 Picked up a booking early on and looked nervous right until Real grabbed their third. Some of his clearances were panicky and could have hurt the home side on another day. Ricardo Carvalho - 7 Led this team out of trouble numerous times and instilled calm when Pepe looked shaky. Marcelo - 9 Is there a more adventurous left-back than him in the world right now? His first goal was Brazilian flair at his best and he seems to have improved the defensive side of his game immensely. Sergio Ramos - 6.5 Had a good battle with Cissokho throughout the game and emerged unscathed. Managed to cut out a good number of the left-back's crosses and was himself a big threat from set-pieces as usual. Sami Khedira - 6.5 Does not possess the same range of passing as Xabi Alonso, but the German was full of running and almost always got to the loose balls in midfield the fastest. Xabi Alonso - 7 Was spot on with his diagonals and always around to launch Real Madrid attacks. And there were plenty of those. Cristiano Ronaldo (off 74') - 6 Showed the effects of his lay-off with a subdued performance. Still managed to get an assist and tested Hugo Lloris with a stinging long-range effort. Angel Di Maria (off 79') - 6 Settled the tie with a sumptuous chip from a Ozil flick on, but was generally not at his best. Tried to take on too many defenders at once and usually lost possession. Mesut Ozil - 8.5 Was Real's playmaker in chief and boy, did he do a good job! Full of neat flicks and mazy dribbling, the German internatioanl gave a midfield masterclass. Karim Benzema (off 84') - 9 You could literally see the confidence coursing through his veins. The Frenchman made his presence felt all over the pitch - running off defenders, nicking the ball from the Lyon midfield and generally making life miserable for his former club. Subs Emmanuel Adebayor (on 74') - n.a Esteban Granero (on 79') - n.a Lassana Diarra (on 84') - n.a Lyon Hugo Lloris - 8.5 Was simply sensational in goal, keeping out venomous strikes from Ronaldo and Benzema as well as superbly anticipating Ozil's raking through balls. Dejan Lovren - 8 The best defensive player on the night. Rarely lost out to a Real forward and was only undone by a piece of magic from Marcelo. Cris - 6 Largely solid but suffered from lapses in concentration that led Lyon down at crucial times. Was at fault for the third goal that put the tie to bed. Aly Cissokho - 6.5 Was always available to give Lyon space on the left - and stretched the Madrid backline well, especially in the first-half. His crosses could have been better though. Anthony Reveillere - 3 Sruggled against Marcelo and barely provided any attacking threat. Did make one superb tackle to deny Benzema, but overall it was a shoddy display. Jeremy Toulalan - 6.5 Did well against Cristiano Ronaldo in the middle of the park and did not fall for any of the Portuguese's dazzling tricks. Poor set piece delivery though. Kim Kallstrom - 4 Overrun by the Real Madrid midfield and did not have any impact on the game. Yoann Gourcuff (off 69') - 3.5 A disappointing performance from one of Lyon's best players. Barely got the ball and didn't do anything with it when he did. Cesar Delgado - 3 His behind spent more time on the ground than his feet did. Jimmy Briand (off 45') - 3 Struggled to get into the box and was controlled very well by Ricardo Carvalho. Rightly subbed at half-time. Lisandro Lopez - 6.5 Was one of the few Lyon men who was willing to get in amongst the Real players. Linked well with both Cissokho and Gomis when the latter came on. Subs Bafetimbi Gomis (on 45') - 6.5 Lyon looked far more threatening with Gomis on and the striker even managed to get a shot on target - a rarity for the French team on the night. Jeremy Pied (on 69') - 3 As anonymous as the man he replaced. Miralem Pjanic (on 80') - n.a

Mourinho out to avoid Inter or Chelsea Jose Mourinho wants to avoid former clubs Chelsea and Inter Milan after guiding Real Madrid into the Champions League last eight. On Wednesday, the Portuguese manager helped book Madrid's place in quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in seven years by leading them past Lyon 3-0, to give them a 4-1 aggregate success. The draw for the last eight will be made on Friday and Mourinho has been quick to state his desire for Madrid not play Inter Milan, who he won this competition with last season, or Chelsea, who he last managed in 2007. "Any draw will be a serious challenge, but I do not want to play Inter or Chelsea, but we might have to," Mourinho was quoted on Skysports.com "We are Real Madrid, it is normal for us to qualify for the quarters. "This was a victory against a very good team, I think we deserved it after a complete performance, we played to win and deserved to." Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria struck the goals as Madrid put to bed their miserable record of having fallen at this same last-16 stage for six successive editions - including against Lyon last season. Lyon coach Claude Puel thinks Madrid could go all the way to the final regardless of who they face. "Real Madrid could get to the final of the Champions League. "They have the individual quality and if they can stay solid at the back, they could go all the way to the final." Inter, under Mourinho, actually knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League last season enroute to lifting the trophy with the Italian outfit.

Real Madrid 3-0 Lyon (4-1 on agg.) Real Madrid progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in seven years after beating Lyon 3-0. Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria struck the goals as Madrid put to bed their miserable record of having fallen at this same last-16 stage for six successive editions - including against Lyon last season. The victory also means Madrid are a step closer to winning a record 10th European title, and keeps coach Jose Mourinho on course to conquer Europe with three different teams following his success with Porto and then Inter Milan last year. Madrid started in frenetic fashion and Hugo Lloris did well to deny Mesut Ozil and Marcelo before Sami Khedira headed a corner against the post, although he was penalised for his challenge on the Lyon goalkeeper. The home side were unable to continue that early dominance though, and Lyon gradually started to enjoy more possession and they gave Madrid a scare in the 21st minute when Cesar Delgado brought a diving parry out of Iker Casillas. Madrid were back on the attack soon after that and Cristiano Ronaldo - back in the side following a two-match absence due to injury - drew a brilliant diving save out of Lloris with a thunderous strike. However, where Madrid's much-vaunted attackers were unable to find a way through, full-back Marcelo succeeded in the 37th minute to put Mourinho's men ahead. The Brazil international charged forward from his left-back berth, played a one-two with Ronaldo on the edge of the area, superbly cut inside sliding Lyon defender Dejan Lovren and thumped a shot past Lloris, who got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out. That was the breakthrough Madrid were seeking, and in-form striker Benzema almost made it 2-0 moments later with a well-struck effort that produced another great finger-tip save from Lloris. In Madrid's very next attack Benzema found the back of the net with a header but the former Lyon striker, who had netted eight times in his previous six games, saw his celebrations cut short by an offside flag. Lyon coach Claude Puel introduced Bafetimbi Gomis, the French side's goalscorer in the 1-1 first leg draw, at half-time, but it was Madrid who continued to make most of the running in the second period. Benzema (twice) and Sergio Ramos both went close before the former continued his fine scoring form by making it 2-0 in the 65th minute. Marcelo's long ball over the top was latched onto by the £30million striker and he slotted his shot through the legs of Lloris. Benzema was then denied by the Lyon custodian as Madrid sought a third, before Casillas was finally called into action again in the 71st minute to parry a well-struck Gomis shot which almost dropped inside the far post. A goal then would have given Lyon hope, but within four minutes they were 3-0 down and on their way out of the competition. Ozil's header put Di Maria through and the Argentina winger coolly dinked his shot over Lloris to seal Madrid's 25th successive home win in all competitions and, more importantly, a berth in the last eight of the Champions League at long last.

Sergio Ramos quashes Chelsea links Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has dismissed speculation linking him to Chelsea, insisting he is fully committed to the Galaticos. The Spanish international has recently been linked with a move to England, with Stamford Bridge the rumoured destination. But Ramos has been swift in calming the worried Madrid fans by proclaiming his love and loyalty to the club. The 24-year-old commented to Fifa.com: "I know I need to earn a few more stripes and I'm more than happy to accept that challenge. "I've been here for seven years and I've absorbed the values of this great club by playing alongside legends like Zinedine Zidane and Raul. "Now I'm sharing the captaincy with Iker Casillas and I have to set an example and help the newer players, who don't know the club so well." "As for the future, you can never say what's going to happen in football, although I am happy here. I'm very grateful to Sevilla and Madrid for having moulded me as a player and a person. "And what more can I ask for than to be with the best club in the world, in a fantastic city and with my family close by? I love it here and if they offer to renew my contract for life, I'd jump at the chance." Ramos joined Madrid from Sevilla in 2005 when he was 19-year-old for €27 million, which remains a record fee for a Spanish teenager.

Iker on beards, beauty secrets & books by unamadridista As you know, Iker Casillas is the spokesperson for Philips electric razor, the SensoTouch 3D. With Father’s Day coming up in Spain (it’s celebrated on March 19 because it’s the day of St. Joseph, Jesus’ adoptive father. It’s also the last day of Las Fallas when everything goes up in flames!), Iker is busy promoting the product as a fantastic Father’s Day gift. And that included this amusing and endearing interview (done on the morning of Feb. 23, the day after Madrid played Lyon in the CL) and photo session with El Mundo’s Magazine. Did you sleep? How do you sleep after a game? Usually depending on how it went. If it went well, good. If it went poorly, then bad. I keep thinking about the game. This one could have gone very, very well, but we’ll leave it at just “well.” You’re the image of the new SensoTouch 3D and so we have to talk about shaving. The truth is that I couldn’t grow a beard before. The hair only started growing recently, from the time that I became an hombrecito. Before that, there was only the typical boy’s thing when your father teaches you to shave. But I had nothing then. As I told you, I was beardless back then. Do you like shaving? In the beginning, it was horrible because my skin would get very dry, until I found products that helped with the task and left me better off. So you use cosmetics… Of course, it’s normal, no? It appears that people magnify the fact that you use a hand cream or a face cream. I spend a lot of time outside and sometimes, it’s very cold and the air dries out my skin and the normal thing would be for me to try and protect it. But you’re not one of those footballers like Beckham… No. I’m very classic. With all the problems there are in life, I can’t spend time worrying about if I have one ear bigger than the other or if my hair falls out. Speaking of hair, do you know how I style mine? I leave my house, I get in my car, I open the windows and I dry my hair… And clothes? Do you like shopping? Yes, but I don’t have to go out and buy everything in order for me to relax. Do you watch what you eat? Yes, yes. The older I get, the more careful I am. A professional athlete should take care of his body. The most important thing is the head, but also your body. Now I eat things that I used to hate, such as spinach or fish. Did you like the posing you did today? No. But those are things that come with the job, and you have to do them. I try to do my thing well, which is to stop balls. What will you dedicate yourself to after you retire? I don’t know. I’ve thought about joining the police force… What hobbies do you have? I like to go to the movies, but I go on days when there aren’t a lot of people, such as Monday or Tuesday. Never on Wednesdays, which is the día del espectador. How do you deal with fame? People have always been affectionate towards me. The best are the children. I like it when they like me, when they see me as a role model, because they’re the future. They’re innocent, and when they get near you, they get nervous and they don’t speak. It’s nice, I like it. How did you end up becoming a goalkeeper? As a kid, when you like football, two things can happen: you like to score goals or you like to stop them. And I liked to stop them. I’m a goalkeeper and I’ve always liked the risk of being in the goal and being phenomenal one day and very bad the next. What do you think of traveling? When it’s for pleasure, I like it, and the further I travel, the better. I don’t like work trips, especially being in the hotel for so many hours. And what do you do to pass the time? I listen to music, from AC/DC to Camilo Sesto. I don’t like reading as much. I like newspapers, but not books. Well, I don’t really need it either because I have too much imagination. I watch movies, especially science fiction ones, things about the future, seeing how we’re going to live in 70 years time… And what’s that going to be like? We’ll be dead, no? Well, at least I will be. What things frighten you? Lately, cancer. That I or my loved ones could get cancer. Luckily, no one close to me has it, but it’s there. Has the crisis affected you? I would be a hypocrite if I said yes. But I have a family and I have friends. What do you like to spend money on? Cars, watches…? I don’t like cars, or watches. A splurge? A good dinner, with 10 amiguetes. Will I pay? Sure, no problem. The article also says that although Iker’s only “regular” with technology and he describes himself as an “archaic” with new technology, he’s learning bit by bit and getting the best out of each thing. They also gave Iker two looks, one “before shaving” and “one after shaving.” Again, how good does Iker look when others dress him???

Mourinho: I've a great club behind me Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has welcomed club president Florentino Perez's words of support for him. In response to Mourinho's complaints about the league scheduling for Madrid matches, Perez said earlier on Saturday that the Portuguese was 'defending the club'. Perez said: "Defending Real Madrid from what we believe to be unjust, irregular and arbitrary is the Madrid way, and this is precisely what our coach, Jose Mourinho, does." When asked about those comments following Saturday's 2-0 home win over Hercules, Mourinho said: "I've not heard what the president said, because I don't read or watch anything on match days in order to stay focused, but if it's like I've been told, it could be an important speech for the future. "If we are all together, and we feel the same difficulties, problems and injustices, we will surely be stronger." He added: "A great club needs a great coach, but the great coaches are only that if they have a great club behind them. "And to have the support of the president is very important for me." Madrid's victory over Hercules saw them provisionally cut Barcelona's lead at the top of the La Liga summit to four points, with the Catalan side playing Sevilla on Sunday. Mourinho praised his side for their performance and also said two-goal hero Karim Benzema was "better than ever". He said: "I'm very happy with the team, although I didn't like the first half much. Games preceding and following Champions League encounters are always difficult to play. "In the second half we were better and Hercules had less of the ball." The triumph was also the ideal way to warm up for Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second leg against Lyon, where Madrid will be attempting to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in seven seasons. Madrid are favourites after drawing the first leg 1-1 but Lyon knocked out the Spanish giants at the same stage last season and Mourinho is taking nothing for granted. He said: "Every game you don't win is a tough blow, and there are many of those throughout a coach's career. "You obviously can't always win or get through to semi-finals. "Lyon are a very good team with experience and tradition in the Champions League. On Wednesday we are going to have a difficult game and we must be at our best. "We can play with 11 men or with 12, and this 12th man is the Bernabeu. Over there Lyon played with 12 because their stadium, although small, was with their team. With the public's support we will be stronger."

Mourinho: I will defy Real's history Jose Mourinho believes he can break Real Madrid's UEFA Champions League jinx and qualify for the quarter-finals. The La Liga giants have failed to get past the round-of-16 in the last six seasons and were eliminated by bogey team Olympique Lyon last year. The French side are once again in their path, but with a 1-1 away draw giving them the advantage, Mourinho believes that this time will be different. "My team are not afraid of recent history; statistics exist so that we can go out and contradict them," said the 48-year-old to uefa.com. "Sure [Lyon] have quality, but we must eliminate them. "I've already done that [with Porto] on my way to winning the tournament." The Portuguese has won the competition with Porto in 2004.

@Kaka “I just watched the images of the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. Sad. #prayforJapan” We are together with u !! RT @riiii_puric: @Kaka The earthquake still continues.But Japan is encouraged by people all over the world including many of the soccer players.Thank you!!

Real Madrid vs Lyon Preview Jose Mourinho has yet to reveal if Cristiano Ronaldo will be fit for Real Madrid's vital Champions League last 16 second-leg clash. The £80million striker, 26, damaged his hamstring in the 7-0 thrashing of Malaga on March 3, and at the time of the injury the club stated he would be sidelined for between 10 and 15 days. Mourinho must now decide whether Ronaldo is ready to feature for the nine-time European champions, with the tie well poised at 1-1 from the first leg. He told marca.com: "I don't know whether he is going to play or not. We'll wait until the final training session to decide. I'm not a doctor and I'm not the player so I will leave it to the medical department to decide. "I do not like to decide anything on game day - I like to be clear a day earlier. I have nothing to hide. If he is well, he will play. But you will have to wait a little." Madrid's recent record in the competition is in stark contrast to their position as the most decorated team in the tournament's history, having been dumped out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage in each of the last six seasons. Lyon were the team who eliminated them from last season's competition, denying Madrid the possibility of playing in a Champions League final on their home Bernabeu pitch. Mourinho, who won that final with Inter Milan, refused to read too much into Madrid's own poor recent record or his own impressive form in the competition, having also won it as coach of Porto in 2004. "Everyone has a past, positive and negative. But the past does not play a part," he added. "I usually have good results in the Champions League and have reached finals and semi-finals. But neither my good results and play for Madrid's poor results in recent years play a part. They are unique matches. The tie is open, although we have a tiny advantage when the game starts." Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has called on the Bernabeu crowd to give the team their full backing. Spain's World Cup-winning captain said: "We know that the environment in the Champions League is different and we need them (the crowd). "The best moment I remember from the Champions League was a Real Madrid-Bayern in which we had to overcome a 2-1 deficit. The crowd turned to the team. "We know the Champions League environment is different, we need the public to get behind us. People have to help us and, together, be in the quarter-finals." Lyon reached the semi-finals last year, with Miralem Pjanic scoring the vital goal at the Bernabeu last season. The Bosnian midfielder, quoted in his home country's media, said: "We have travelled to Madrid to score a goal, to advance to the quarter-finals. We have quality and if we continue with our level of play will achieve a new success. "Most importantly we must resist the early pressure. Also our coach will prepare the appropriate tactic." Lyon have never lost at the Bernabeu, having drawn in all three of their previous visits to the Spanish capital. On the injury front, aside from Ronaldo there is a question mark around Pedro Leon, who missed Madrid's weekend win over Hercules after straining a knee in training. Sami Khedira and Ezequiel Garay both returned to the substitutes bench against Hercules, with the Germany midfielder coming on before the hour mark. Kaka has not played since suffering a knee injury on February 26, while Fernando Gago is out with a torn adductor. Argentinian forward Gonzalo Higuain is set to miss the rest of the season with a slipped disc suffered in November. For Lyon, full-back Aly Cissokho (knee) missed out against Sochaux at the weekend, as did playmaker Yoann Gourcuff with a bruised toe.

Barca: Madrid not behind doping reports Barcelona are satisfied that reports linking them to doping practices have nothing to do with bitter rivals Real Madrid. The Catalan giants are considering legal action against radio station Cadena Cope for insinuations made during a broadcast on Sunday night, and have been contacted by the president of their great rivals, Florentino Perez, insisting that no one at Real had anything to do with Cadena Cope's report. Toni Freixa, a spokesman for the Barcelona board, told marca.com: "The president of Madrid has already contacted us to say that the club has nothing to do with this information. "(Barcelona president Sandro) Rosell has no reason to disbelieve him. "These reports are a serious blow to the reputation of Barcelona, their doctors and athletes." The club said in a statement yesterday: "FC Barcelona is demanding an immediate rectification and wishes to let it be known that its legal department is studying possible legal action to defend the club's honour, alongside that of its coaching staff, players and medical staff and is prepared to take such action to its final consequences."

Pep diverts blame from referees Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has refused to blame the match officials for Sunday's 1-1 draw with Sevilla. The referee made two notable calls during the La Liga match, when he dismissed Barcelona's claims for a penalty after Bojan Krkic was felled in the box, as well as disallowing a Lionel Messi goal in the first half. With Barcelona drawing their match, along with title rivals Real Madrid notching up a comfortable 2-0 win over Hercules the day before, the Catalan side's lead at the top of the table has now been cut to five points. Speaking in his post-match press conference, Guardiola however shied away from identifying the referee's decisions as having cost his side a valuable win. "The referees always do their utmost." "I'm a representative of the institution Barcelona. I don't want to talk about the disallowed goal of Messi. A Barcelona coach doesn't discuss the referee's performance." The Barcelona coach was also quick to praise Sevilla for their performance, and admitted he was nonetheless pleased with his team's performance. "Overall, I'm quite satisfied with how we played. We always try to control the game, but sometimes you face a strong opponent. We didn't lose though and we never stopped trying." "We put in a good performance against a great team. Maybe we deserved more than a draw after our first half performance. Sevilla improved after the break and showed their great mentality." While Barcelona are still on course for a third successive La Liga title, Sevilla also keep alive their hopes of playing in European competition next season, although should they finish the season in their current position of seventh, they will enter the Europa League in the third qualifying round, which would mean an early start to next year's campaign.

Barca livid at doping claims Barcelona are considering legal action after a Spanish radio station made allegations "which link the club to doping practices". Barca on Monday issued a strongly-worded statement denying claims made by Cadena Cope and are in consultation with lawyers over their next course of action. A statement released on the club's official website read: "In response to the grave insinuations broadcast on Sunday night on the Cadena Cope radio station, FC Barcelona wishes to publicly express its total indignation at these unfounded references which link the club to doping practices and to condemn such attitudes, which have nothing to do with fair play and gravely affect the image of sporting competition. "FC Barcelona is demanding an immediate rectification and wishes to let it be known that its legal department is studying possible legal action to defend the club's honour, alongside that of its coaching staff, players and medical staff and is prepared to take such action to its final consequences."