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Real Madrid holds down Bayern with solid defense

Real Madrid, defending champion AC Milan, Arsenal and Monaco reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Wednesday.

Chelsea, Deportivo, Lyon and Porto advanced on Tuesday with the draw for the quarterfinals scheduled for Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.

Nine-time champion Real Madrid played one of its best defensive games of the season to beat Bayern Munich 1-0 on Zinedine Zidane's first-half goal, advancing 2-1 on aggregate.

The victory in the Spanish capital was only Real Madrid's fifth in 16 matches against the Germans and leaves the Spaniards as the favorites to lift Europe's No. 1 club trophy.

Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham said he regretted seeing Man United knocked out of the competition on Tuesday. Last season's runner-up Juventus was also ousted.

"I'd love to have gone back to Old Trafford as a Real Madrid player and played against friends, and played in front of friends," Beckham said. "That was disappointing. I was disappointed as a fan as well."

After a scoreless first leg, six-time winners AC Milan defeated Sparta Prague 4-1 on two goals by Andriy Shevchenko and another from Filippo Inzaghi. The other was an own-goal with Tomas Jun scoring for the Czechs.

AC Milan scored three goals in 20 minutes in the second half to break the match open after the Czechs had made it 1-1. Sparta would have advanced with that scoreline.

English league-leaders Arsenal defeated Spain's Celta Vigo 2-0 in London on two Thierry Henry goals, going through 5-2 on aggregate. Arsenal has staged an amazing rebirth after losing two of its first three matches in this year's competition.

Dado Prso, who missed an early penalty, scored in the 60th as the French league leaders defeated 10-man Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0 and advanced on the away rule after a 2-2 aggregate.

At Madrid, Spain, Zidane scored in the 32nd minute on a left-footed shot from close in. Madrid played without injured Ronaldo and suspended Roberto Carlos. The match between the European powerhouses failed to live up to expectations, lacking in goal chances and littered with fouls. Both teams got into a shoving match just minutes from the end.

At Milan, Italy, Ukrainian striker Shevchenko scored twice as AC Milan thrashed Sparta Prague 4-1. A first-half header by Filippo Inzaghi and an own-goal by Petr Johana on a long distance drive by Ivan Gattuso gave the Italian side a clear-cut win at San Siro stadium. At one point Prague put the Italians' qualification at risk when Tomas Jun equalized in the 59th. A 1-1 draw would have qualified the Czechs on the away goals rule.

At London, Thierry Henry scored twice in the first half and it could have scored more for the Gunners, who threatened every time they ventured into Celta's territory. Celta finished with 10 men after substitute Pablo Contreras was sent off in the 74th minute for two yellow cards. It's only the second time Arsenal has reached the final eight of the Champions League. In 2000 Arsenal was eliminated by Valencia.

At Monte Carlo, Monaco, Croatia striker Dado Prso scored the deciding goal for for the French league leaders.
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