Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund powered their way into the quarterfinals of the Champions League with defeats of Manchester United and Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday in the round of 16 second legs.
Real came from behind to win 2-1 at United with goals from Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo, after Real defender Sergio Ramos had given United the lead with an own goal. The Spaniards went through on a 3-2 aggregate.
The game turned on the rather harsh sending-off of United winger Nani 35 minutes from time with the score at 1-0, for a high kick on Alvaro Arbeloa.
Dortmund had an easier time of it against Shakhtar, thanks to goals from Felipe Santana, Mario Goetze and Jakub Blaszczykowski. The Germans went through on a comfortable 5-2 aggregate, having drawn the first leg 2-2 in Ukraine.
In Manchester, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson raised eyebrows by leaving star forward Wayne Rooney on the subs’ bench.
Real needed to win after being held 1-1 at home in the first leg and dominated possession in the first-half, though without creating clear goal chances.
At the other end, United captain Nemanja Vidic saw his powerful header from a corner hit the Real post.
The hosts took the lead three minutes into the second-half when the stretching Ramos turned a centre from Nani into his own goal, to the delight of a packed Old Trafford.
However, the match was turned on its head in the 56th minute when Nani got his marching orders for an ugly high boot into Arbeloa’s chest.
The red card handed the initiative to Real, and within 13 minutes they silenced Old Trafford with two killer away goals.
Supersub Modric made it 1-1 with a clever bending drive from just outside the penalty area, which went in off the near post.
Just three minutes later, a classy Real move saw Gonzalo Higuain centre for Cristiano Ronaldo to make it 2-1 at the far post. Ronaldo declined to celebrate his goal.
United then needed two more goals and never looked capable of getting them, though Real keeper Diego Lopez had to make sharp saves from Robin Van Persie and Vidic.
In Dortmund, Borussia had few problems against a Shakhtar team ponderous in midfield and brittle in defence.
Brazilian defender Santana gave the hosts the lead in the 31st minute with a powerful near-post header to a corner from playmaker Goetze.
The elegant Goetze made it 2-0 six minutes later for Dortmund by turning in a low centre from Robert Lewandowski.
Fellow Pole Blaszczykowski completed the rout on the hour by turning in the rebound after Donetsk keeper Andriy Pyatov had dropped a shot from Ilkay Gundogan.
