0
LONDON: Chelsea moved into the last eight of the Champions League with a minimum of fuss on Wednesday when they drew 0-0 at home with a battling FC Copenhagen to complete a 2-0 aggregate victory.
The Londoners, bidding to make the semi-finals for the sixth time in eight years, completed a hat-trick of successes for Premier League clubs as they join Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in Friday's quarter-final draw.
Chelsea, in command of the tie following Nicolas Anelka's two goals in the first leg, created a dozen half-chances but their finishing lacked precision and visiting keeper Johan Wiland was forced into only regulation saves.
Copenhagen, 20 points clear at the top of their domestic league and the first Danish side to make the knockout stage of the Champions League, went close in the first half when Dame N'Doye curled a superb free kick against a post with Petr Cech beaten but spent most of the night defending.
Chelsea set about their task with the zeal of a team who knew the tie was as good as over and with the quiet home fans in the less-than-full Stamford Bridge acquiescing it was left to the noisy visiting supporters to provide the atmosphere.
When they did move out of second gear with some nicely-built moves down the left, their finishing let them down as Frank Lampard, Yuri Zhirkov, Anelka and Didier Drogba all failed to take advantage of decent positions.
The Danes, resplendent in bright pink shirts, were busy without ever looking dangerous but they came nearest to a first-half goal when N'Doye's free kick thudded against the post after 26 minutes.
Chelsea were livelier after the break with Drogba shooting just wide and John Obi Mikel clipping the bar with a header as Copenhagen were pushed deeper and deeper.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti introduced Fernando Torres for Anelka after 67 minutes and though the Spaniard unleashed two sharp shots, he ended his sixth game for his new club still seeking his first goal.
REAL BREAKS JINX
Real Madrid eased into the quarters for the first time in seven seasons when Marcelo, Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria scored in a 3-0 demolition of Olympique Lyon on
Victory at a packed and rowdy Bernabeu put the record nine-times winners through 4-1 on aggregate after the teams drew 1-1 in last month's first leg in France.
Marcelo struck first on 37 minutes when he dashed in from left, exchanged passes with Cristiano Ronaldo and beat two defenders before firing in off goalkeeper Hugo Lloris's arm.
France international Benzema, a former Lyon player who scored Real's goal in the first leg, doubled Real's lead in the 66th when he raced clear and sent a low shot through the keeper's legs and Di Maria put the tie beyond the Ligue 1 club's reach with another breakaway goal 14 minutes from time.
Real, whose last Champions League title came in 2002, had failed to beat Lyon in seven previous meetings in Europe and were knocked out of the competition by them at the same stage last season.
The French side brought on Bafetimbi Gomis, scorer of their goal in the first leg, at the break but the 2010 semi-finalists scarcely came close to beating Real keeper Iker Casillas.
Their best effort came in the 22nd minute when Cesar Delgado curled a low shot from the edge of the penalty area, forcing Casillas to save low to his left.
A smooth passage through to the last eight will be seen as a personal triumph for Real coach Jose Mourinho, who was hired after leading Inter Milan to a treble of Italian league and cup and Champions League last term.
The draw for the quarter-finals is on Friday.
