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ENTERTAINMENT and ADVENTURE => Sports Watch => Topic started by: Folami David on Mar 13, 2013, 11:13 PM

Title: Nervous Bayern, Malaga through to the quarterfinals
Post by: Folami David on Mar 13, 2013, 11:13 PM

Last season's beaten finalists Bayern Munich survived a severe case of stage fright to edge into the Champions League quarterfinals on away goals and were joined in the last eight by debutants Malaga on Wednesday.
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Nervy Bayern were beaten 2-0 at home by Arsenal but progressed thanks to their 3-1 success in London in the first leg.
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Arsenal's task seemed an improbable one but they made a great start when striker Olivier Giroud struck from close range after three minutes. Bayern could never find their stride and Laurent Koscielny's header from a corner four minutes from time set up a tense finale but the German side held on.
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It is the first time since the 1995-96 season, when Blackburn Rovers finished bottom of their group, that there is no English team in the last eight.
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Malaga's fairytale first season among Europe's elite continued after the Qatari-backed Spaniards overturned a 1-0 first-leg defeat by Porto to win the home leg 2-0 at their Rosaleda stadium.
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Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz, on-loan from Manchester City, headed home from a corner on 77 minutes soon after coming on a substitute to secure Malaga's passage.
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Playmaker Isco, who won the 'Golden Boy' trophy as the best Under-21 player in Europe last season, had levelled the tie with a fine strike two minutes before halftime.
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Porto were up against it when Belgian midfielder Steven Defour was sent off for a second yellow four minutes into the second half.
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Bayern and Malaga joined Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Paris St Germain, Juventus, Galatasaray and Barcelona in the last eight.
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Barca are favourites to win the trophy for the fourth time in eight seasons after World Player of the Year Lionel Messi's double helped the Catalans overhaul AC Milan's two-goal first-leg lead with a 4-0 demolition of the Italians in the return on Tuesday.
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The draw for the quarterfinals takes place in Nyon on Friday. The final is at Wembley stadium on May 25.