Manchester United scored a goal at the start of each half yesterday to beat Inter Milan 2-0 and help complete an English sweep into the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Arsenal's 7-6 penalty shootout win at AS Roma means all four English teams in the competition will be in next week's quarterfinal draw after defending champion United withstood concerted pressure to reach the last eight for the third straight year.
![Cristiano Ronaldo scored the second goal of the Manchester United during their match agaist Inter Milan at the Champions League on March 11, 2009. [Sina.com]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20090312/000802aa2f490b22b06830.jpg "Cristiano Ronaldo scored the second goal of the Manchester United during their match agaist Inter Milan at the Champions League on March 11, 2009. [Sina.com]") |
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Cristiano Ronaldo?scored?the second goal of the Manchester United during their match agaist Inter Milan?at the Champions League on March 11, 2009. [Sina.com] |
Nemanja Vidic scored in the fourth minute and Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 49th to give United a 2-0 win over the two legs, while Arsenal lost 1-0 at Roma to draw 1-1 on aggregate - advancing only when Max Tonetto missed the crucial penalty.
Barcelona eased into the quarterfinals with a 5-2 home win over Lyon and FC Porto progressed on away goals after a 0-0 draw with visiting Atletico Madrid.
United, which drew 0-0 at Inter two weeks ago, led early at Old Trafford when Vidic twisted and turned inside the area to lose his marker and head a corner past goalkeeper Julio Cesar from about 12 meters (yards).
Although Inter dominated the rest of the half and hit the bar with a header by striker Zlatan Ibrahimovich, Wayne Rooney set up a second goal.
The England striker taunted Maicon with the ball on the edge of the area before floating a diagonal cross from the left corner of the box through the defense, giving the unmarked Ronaldo an easy close-range header.
It was Ronaldo's first Champions League goal since last season's final win over Chelsea and marked the first time in 14 attempts that United had scored more than one goal against a team managed by Jose Mourinho.
Inter hit the frame of the goal again when Adriano volleyed onto the post but United deservedly joined Chelsea and Liverpool, which advanced on Tuesday, in the next round.
"United deserved to win," Mourinho said. "They scored two goals over the course of the two games and we have to accept that, in football, the team that wins always deserves it."
![Arsenal players celebrate after their 7-6 penalty shootout win at AS Roma. [Sina.com]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20090312/000802aa2f490b22b27632.jpg "Arsenal players celebrate after their 7-6 penalty shootout win at AS Roma. [Sina.com]") |
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Arsenal players celebrate after their 7-6 penalty shootout win at AS Roma. [Sina.com] |
Arsenal's play was largely devoid of the flair that has characterized manager Arsene Wenger's teams but advanced when Tonetto smashed the 16th kick of the shootout high over the bar.
"We needed to show our nerve tonight and determination," Wenger said. "We were a bit nervous at the start and gave a goal away more by nerves than them creating the chance.
"I must pay tribute to the nerves of my team. There is something in there that comes out: that is huge mental strength."
Eduardo Da Silva had missed Arsenal's first kick but Mirko Vucinic wasted the advantage when he weakly hit Roma's second at goalkeeper Manuel Almunia in the middle of the goal.
Roma, which lost the first leg 1-0 at Arsenal, had earlier drawn level on aggregate in the 10th when a cross from the left beat four defenders and was fired into the net by the unmarked Juan.
Barcelona made sure of its place with four first-half goals against Lyon, two of them in three minutes from Thierry Henry.
![Henry celebrates after he scores for Barcelona during their match against Lyon at the Champions League on March 12, 2009. [Sina.com]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20090312/000802aa2f490b22b1d031.jpg "Henry celebrates after he scores for Barcelona during their match against Lyon at the Champions League on March 12, 2009. [Sina.com]") |
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Henry celebrates after he scores for Barcelona during their match against Lyon at the Champions?League on March 12, 2009. [Sina.com] |
Henry made it 2-0 and Lionel Messi then slalomed into the area and exchanged passes with Samuel Eto'o before scoring his sixth tournament goal of the season with a calm shot. Eto'o put Barcelona further in front in the 43rd from a pass by Henry.
Jean Il Makoun got a goal back a minute later with a header from a corner and Juninho hit a low shot four minutes into the second half to narow the deficit to two goals, but Seydou Keito struck in the final minute to make it 6-3 on aggregate.
Porto, meanwhile, progressed courtesy of the two goals it scored to draw 2-2 at Atletico Madrid in the first leg.
"Nobody thought we would come this far. We're a young team and we're still growing," Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira said.
Villarreal and Bayern Munich also progressed Tuesday, with the latter's 7-1 win over Sporting Lisbon wrapping up a 12-1 aggregate win - the biggest ever in a post-group stage match.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily March 12, 2009)
