Published 3/8/2007 8:35:52 AM by Shane Barrow from Dallas, Texas

Bayern win sends Real crashing out of Europe
Bayern Munich booked their place in the Champions League's last eight as their 2-1 win sent Real Madrid crashing out and created a small piece of competition history here Wednesday.

Having bagged the all-important away goals in their 3-2 first-leg defeat, Bayern flew out of the blocks with a lightning-quick goal from Roy Makaay after just ten seconds. It was the fastest in Champions League history and was followed by a well-taken second-half header from Lucio which sealed the win.

Ruud van Nistelrooy's penalty gave Real a late lifeline, but with the teams all square at 4-4 on aggregate Bayern prevailed on the away goals rule. The defeat came as a hammer blow to the nine-times European champions.

Alex goes from zero to hero to send PSV through
PSV Eindhoven defender Alex went from villain to hero as his late strike earned a 2-1 aggregate victory over Arsenal in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

Alex had looked like being the fall guy for Ronald Koeman's side when his second-half own goal brought Arsenal back onto level terms in the tie. But the Brazilian glanced home a header eight minutes from full-time to clinch a 1-1 second leg draw that sent PSV through to the quarter-finals.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has endured a miserable and tempestuous couple of weeks seeing his side lose in a fiery League Cup final to Chelsea and knocked out of the FA Cup, admitted it had been a crushing blow.

"It is a big disappointment," said Wenger, who also lost leading striker Thierry Henry - who came on as a substitute - for what he said was several weeks with either a torn groin or stomach muscle. "It's cruel but you have to be strong enough to take it. We didn't take our chances."

PSV had spent much of the match at the Emirates Stadium on the back foot as they tried to defend their 1-0 advantage from the first leg and Arsenal had only themselves to blame for squandering a host of chances to put the tie beyond the Dutch league leaders.

Larsson bows out in style
Henrik Larsson bowed out of Old Trafford on Wednesday with a reminder of why Manchester United had been so desperate to keep him until the end of the season as Sir Alex Ferguson's side stumbled into the last eight of the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Lille.

Larsson's 71st-minute strike was enough for United to match their win in France, but Lille's lingering sense of grievance over the quickly-taken Ryan Giggs free-kick which decided the first leg will only have been exacerbated by their failure to take the chances they had to turn things around here.

The veteran Swede - destroyer in chief of Arsenal in last season's Champions League final for Barcelona - earned praise from Lille coach Claude Puel. "He (Larsson) is a special player, who adds another dimension to United's style," said Puel.

Brave Celtic edged out by AC Milan
AC Milan beat Celtic 1-0 here on Wednesday to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but they needed extra-time before breaking the Scottish side's brave resistance.
Celtic were under almost constant pressure from the first whistle, but what they lacked in technique they more than made up for in spirit and held the six-time European champions to a goalless draw after 90 minutes, leaving the last 16 tie deadlocked at 0-0 on aggregate.

But after repelling attack after attack, the visitors, roared on by a raucous army of travelling supporters, finally succumbed in the third minute of the first-half in extra-time.

Kaka, who had seen a shot come back off the bar in normal time, ran from his own half at a tiring Celtic defence and evaded a late lunge by Stephen McManus before sliding the ball past Artur Boruc.

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