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Champions League, semi-final, second leg

Real Madrid 2 - Bayern Munich 1 (1-3 penalty shoot-out)

There will be no Spanish side in this year's Champions League final after Real Madrid lost to Bayern Munich in the penalty shoot-out. As Barcelona had done the day before, Madrid raced in to a two goal lead, Cristiano Ronaldo converting an early penalty after Alaba blocked Di María's shot with his arm inside the area, and then picking up Özil's pass to score a second with less than quarter of an hour on the clock. Robben got one back from the penalty spot though to level the tie later in the first half after Pepe brought down Mario Gómez, and Casillas had to be at his best to keep out a shot from Gómez and a Robben free kick before the interval. Gómez was to be a constant threat in the second half, but Benzema and Ronaldo brought good saves out of Neuer as Madrid pushed forward to try and wrap things up. With everything all square though the match went in to extra time, and neither side were able to get the better of their opponent. And so it went to penalties, and the German side went two ahead as Neuer saved kicks from Ronaldo and Kaká. Casillas kept Madrid's hopes alive keeping out Kroos and Lahm, but Sergio Ramos fired his shot up in to the stands, and team captain Schweinsteiger slotted home the next one to take his side through. Bayern will meet Chelsea next month in their own Allianz stadium, and dreams of a much hoped for final between Real Madrid and Barcelona lay in ruins. That's football! (25.04.12)

Barcelona 2 - Chelsea 2

Barcelona are out of this season's Champions League! In one of the most extraordinary contests in recent times, Chelsea came through with ten men to draw 2-2 in the Nou Camp and dump the reigning champions out of the competition! As in the first leg, it was one way traffic in favour of the Spanish side from start to finish. But once again they failed to take their chances, Messi firing an initial effort wide and then shooting at Cech when free on goal. Chelsea's packed defence prevented Guardiola's side from creating too many opportunities, but with ten minutes to go to the break Busquets cancelled out the Premier League team's first leg lead when he turned Cuenca's cross in on the far post. A minute later the visitors were left with ten men when Terry was sent off for kneeing Alexis from behind in an off-the-ball incident, and a couple of minutes later it seemed to be all over when Messi put Iniesta through to score a second. Nothing could have been further than the truth though, and with the first half coming to an end Lampard found Ramires for him to run on and chip the ball over Valdés, a vital away goal which put the visitors ahead in the tie. Three minutes in to the second half Barça should have gone in front again when Drogba tripped Fàbregas in the area, but Messi fired the resulting spot kick against the crossbar. By now Drogba was playing at left back as Di Matteo pulled all nine outfield players in and around the penalty area, and despite some frantic attacking it was not until eight minutes before the end that Alexis turned in a Dani Alves cross only for the full back to be pulled up for a borderline offside. Messi hit the post a minute later, but with the game in the second minute of injury time substitute Fernando Torres delivered the sucker punch, rounding Valdés to level the scores on the night in a rapid breakaway. In just seven days Barcelona's season has fallen apart, and now they only have the Copa del Rey final left to save something from the current campaign. The end of an era, or can they get it all back after the summer break? (24.04.12)