Madrid hammer CSKA to coast into quarter-finals

MADRID: Real Madrid strolled into the quarterfinals of the Champions League last night after Gonzalo Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema scored in a 4-1 win at home to CSKA Moscow that put them through 5-2 on aggregate.

Jose Mourinho’s side took a deserved lead in the 26th minute when Sami Khedira sent Kaka clear on the left and the Brazilian crossed for Higuain to poke the ball into the net.

The Spanish club doubled their lead 10 minutes into the second half when CSKA goalkeeper Sergei Chepchugov could only divert Ronaldo’s long-range strike on to a post and in, and Benzema followed up his own shot to net Real’s third 20 minutes from time moments after coming off the bench. Ronaldo tapped in a fourth in stoppage time.

Zoran Tosic rewarded the travelling CSKA fans with a goal 13 minutes from time when he rounded Pepe and lashed the ball high past Iker Casillas from just outside the area, prompting a furious reaction from Mourinho on the side of the pitch.

Last night’s double put Ronaldo (six) third on the list of leading scorers in this season’s competition after Lionel Messi (Barcelona, 12) and Mario Gomez (Bayern, 10).

Roared on by their vocal travelling support, CSKA made a bright start and should have taken the lead in the eighth minute when Sey- dou Doumbia sped clear, but the Ivory Coast forward blasted a wild shot over Casillas’s crossbar.

Real gradually seized control and came close to a second shortly before halftime when Higuain just failed to get on the end of another low Kaka centre.

Chepchugov had to be alert to block a Ronaldo effort immediately after the break before Real midfielder Xabi Alonso picked up a booking that will keep him out of the first leg of the quarter-final.

The result on a balmy night in the Spanish capital secured Real their place in tomorrow’s draw for the last eight as the La Liga leaders seek their first continental title since 2002. – Reuters

In last night’s other Champions League round-of16 clash, Chelsea and Napoli were level 4-4 on aggregate after normal time at Stamford Bridge. At the time of going to press, extra time was being played.