Lyon force late draw but Benzema scores away goal for Real

Defiant Lyon came from behind to force a late 1-1 draw at home to Real Madrid on Tuesday, in a one-sided Champions League round of 16 first leg clash that the Spaniards should really have won.

Karim Benzema gave dominant Real the lead in the 65th minute, only for Bafetimbi Gomis to equalize for Lyon seven minutes from the end.

The draw leaves Real fairly well placed to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2004. Lyon now need a high-scoring draw or an away win in Madrid in the second leg, on March 16.

Claude Puel's team will make the trip without left wing-back Michel Bastos, who will be suspended after picking up another yellow card.

Real defender Sergio Ramos said: "We will go home with our heads down after not being able to win this game. We should have got a more positive result, this leaves us with a bittersweet taste."

The World Cup-winner tried to finish on a high note, saying that "we should be optimistic (about the second leg) because we will have our fans cheering for us. This time we really need to go through."

Lyon's Argentine striker Cesar Delgado, meanwhile, said: "This is not really a bad result for us, in the circumstances...We never gave up trying, and we deserved to get a draw."

Real coach Jose Mourinho raised eyebrows by ommitting Brazilians Marcelo and Kaka from his starting lineup, preferring a more cautious approach.

In a cagey first half, Mourinho's team seemed to show Lyon too respect, the consequence of never having beaten the Frenchmen in six matches in the past six years.

Real came out for the second half with more ambition and aggression, and enjoyed 58 per cent possession. In the 50th minute Cristiano Ronaldo hit the post with a clever free-kick, then Ramos headed a corner from Mesut Oezil onto the crossbar.

In the 64th minute the visitors should have been given a penalty when Yoann Gourcuff stoped a Ronaldo free-kick with his arm.

But Lyon's relief lasted just one minute. Benzema came on for the flat Emmanuel Adebayor and straight away scored the first goal that Real had managed in four visits to the Stade de Gerland.

Oezil found Ronaldo on the edge of the area and the Portuguese forward set up the determined Benzema. The former Lyon idol staggered past three defenders on the wet field and eventually fell over, but his soft shot trickled in under the legs of keeper Hugo Lloris.

Benzema did not celebrate the goal out of respect for the fans of his home town club.

The goal demoralized Lyon for 15 minutes, but the hosts finally recovered their spirit to launch a late assault on Iker Casillas' goal.

Seven minutes from time Jeremy Toulalan launched a hopeful long free-kick which took a deflection off Ronaldo. Defender Cris managed to head the ball back across goal towards the completely unmarked Gomes, who made it 1-1 with a close-range volley while Real appealed for a non-existent offside

Anelka's double puts Chelsea on course for quarter-finals

Nicolas Anelka scored both goals as Chelsea took a stranglehold on their last-16 clash with Copenhagen as they won the first leg 2-0 in Denmark on Tuesday.

The Frenchman opened the scoring on 17 minutes and doubled his side's lead with a well-taken second nine minutes into the second half.

Fernando Torres, the club's 50-million-pound signing, started the game and created a series of chances in an improved performance but could not get his first club for the club.

But the result will be a huge relief for manager Carlo Ancelotti, whose position had been the subject of some discussion after a series of poor results in the league and their exit from the FA Cup last weekend.

"It was a good result and good performance," Ancelotti said. "The players worked hard and played good football but it is only the first half. In this competition we are focused because we want to do well.

"Fernando Torres did very well because the key to the game was the work of the strikers."

With Torres and Anelka given the nod in attack it meant there was no place in the starting line-up for Didier Drogba, while Brazilian Ramires was preferred to Jon Obi Mikel alongside Michael Essien in midfield.

Copenhagen were second best throughout the match and the difference between the sides was evident early on as Chelsea dominated possession and created chances at will.

Torres wasted an early chance due to a heavy touch while Florent Malouda lashed over the bar but on 17 minutes, Chelsea took the lead.

Former Chelsea winger Jesper Gronkjaer gave the ball away in midfield, allowing Anelka to run at the defence and his shot was too powerful for Wiland in the Copenhagen goal, though he should have done better.

Torres continued to cause the Copenhagen defence problems but it was Anelka who showed him the way, running onto a great reverse pass by Frank Lampard before unleashing a perfect shot across the goalkeeper and into the far corner.

Wiland did well to deny Torres after the Spaniard turned the defence inside out and Lampard and Drogba, on as a late substitute, were guilty of wasting good chances to extend their lead.

But with a two-goal advantage - and two away goals for that matter - Chelsea will be confident of easing through the second leg at Stamford Bridge and moving into the quarter-finals