Man City, Real Madrid into Champions League quarters
Holders Manchester City cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over FC Copenhagen on Wednesday, while record 14-time winners Real Madrid also made it through. City's 10th consecutive win in the competition wrapped up a 6-2 aggregate triumph, as first-half goals by Manuel Akanji, Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland took care of business early. Akanji scored with City's first chance, volleying in Alvarez's corner in the fifth minute. Alvarez scored his own four minutes later, thanks to calamitous goalkeeping by Kamil Grabara, who let the City forward's shot slip through his hands seconds after Rodri pinged an effort off the crossbar. Former Southampton player Mohamed Elyounoussi pulled one back for the Danish champions in the 29th minute but City's goal-scoring machine Haaland slotted home a low, hard shot through two defenders seconds before halftime, his 29th goal of the season across all competitions. City reached the quarter-finals for the seventh straight season. Real Madrid withstood an onslaught from RB Leipzig to secure a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie that sent them through to the quarter-finals with a 2-1 aggregate victory. RB Leipzig were arguably the better side and missed several gilt-edged chances. But Real Madrid increased the tempo in the second half and ultimately did enough to seal their place in the last eight. Bidding for a record-extending 15th Champions League title, Real took the lead thanks to a Vinicius Jr strike from a counter attack in the 65th minute. But Leipzig's Willi Orban levelled the score three minutes later with a header to set up a tense final few minutes that included a strike that hit the crossbar by Dani Olmo. In a final 20 minutes in which several yellow cards were handed out, Real were playing with fire and were under repeated pressure in their own box with goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who had already saved Real in the first leg, forced to make several crucial saves. Ultimately, Real did just enough to qualify for yet another quarter-final. (Reuters)