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REAL, CITY BREEZE THROUGH TO QUARTERFINALS

‘Real played splendidly from start to finish’
Reuters, Madrid
Real Madrid easily overcame Atalanta 3-1 at home in their Champions League last-16 second leg on Tuesday to stroll into the quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate.
“You have to congratulate the players because we played splendidly from start to finish, against a team that demands a lot of you physically,” said Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.
“We did exactly what we needed to do, both in defence and when we had the ball. We could say it was a complete performance.”
Karim Benzema scored a sixth goal in five games to put the 13-times European champions in charge after 34 minutes while captain Sergio Ramos converted a penalty on the hour mark.
The Italian side managed to get one goal back thanks to a free kick from Luis Muriel in the 83rd but any hope they had of completing a comeback was quickly dashed a minute later by a low strike from Real substitute Marco Asensio.
Real coach Zinedine Zidane however praised an evergreen Luka Modric after the 35-year-old midfielder produced a majestic display in a comfortable win over Atalanta on Tuesday as the Spanish side reached the Champions League quarter-finals.
Modric played a crucial role in breaking the deadlock by contributing to his side’s high-pressing game and intercepting a kick out from Atalanta keeper Marco Sportiello to set up Karim Benzema for the opening goal.
“We all know the player Modric is, he may be 35 but he sure doesn’t look it out on the pitch,” Zidane told reporters.
‘I am delighted to be in the next stage’
Reuters, Budapest
Manchester City marched into the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the fourth straight season after a 2-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Tuesday to complete a 4-0 aggregate victory.
First-half goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan secured a comfortable victory in another impressive display from Pep Guardiola’s side in the home leg, played in the Hungarian capital due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
“It was a good performance, in control for the 90 minutes. We moved the ball quick, played really well again. A lot of players with quality who don’t lose the ball. I am delighted to be in the next stage,” said Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who has seen his teams score 100+ goals in all his 12 seasons as a manager, since 2008-09.
City have won 24 of their past 25 matches in all competitions (lost one). Since a 1-1 draw with West Brom on December 15, City’s 24 wins are at least seven more than any other side has managed in all competitions in the top-five European leagues.
They are only the third team in Champions League history to keep seven consecutive clean sheets, after AC Milan (seven ending in April 2005) and Arsenal (10 ending in April 2006).
Guardiola heaped praise on centre backs Ruben Dias and John Stones after Tuesday’s Champions League win and said their solid partnership was a key factor in the club’s stellar campaign.
“We just conceded one goal against Porto and that is quite impressive,” Guardiola said. “You can’t deny that Ruben and John made an incredible step forward for the team this season.
Real Madrid, who were knocked out in the last 16 by Manchester City last term and Ajax Amsterdam the season before, reached the last eight for the first time since 2018.
Manchester City marched into the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition for a fourth straight season. Meanwhile, City have reached the last four only once, in 2015-16 under Chilean Manuel Pellegrini.