Chelsea moved into the Champions League quarter-finals with the minimum of fuss by brushing Galatasaray aside with a comfortable 2-0 second-leg win at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday for a 3-1 aggregate success.
Chelsea took command of the last 16 tie after four minutes when Samuel Eto’o scored with a low shot after a lovely piece of skill by Eden Hazard cut the Turkish side open, while Gary Cahill smashed in the second just before halftime.
Chelsea then smothered the match with Frank Lampard offering a tireless midfield screen and their John Terry-led defence in total command.
It was a frustrating return for former fans’ favourite Didier Drogba, who was greeted with a great welcome before kickoff and even gave Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho a kiss, but failed to make any headway as the visitors slipped out of the competition without once testing home keeper Petr Cech.
Galatasaray had not won in eight previous visits to English clubs, drawing three and losing five, and the odds of them ending that streak lengthened considerably with the early goal that settled the hosts.
Hazard produced a neat touch and turn on the halfway line and sent Oscar clear down the right. The Brazilian crossed low for Eto’o who swept in a low shot that keeper Fernando Muslera got a hand to but could not keep out.
The goal quietened the travelling fans, who had brought some welcome noise and colour to their corner of the ground, and Chelsea’s experience kept the Turkish supporters subdued as the home side remained calmly in control of a stop-start first half punctuated by endless free kicks.
If the first goal was the product of Chelsea’s international brigade, the second was fashioned from traditional British beef as Terry headed a Lampard header goalwards and, after Muslera parried, fellow centre back Cahill slammed the loose ball gleefully into the roof of the net.
In the evening’s other match Real Madrid stormed into the quarter-finals with a club record 9-2 aggregate success after Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice in a 3-1 win at home against Schalke.
Real were virtually assured of a place in the last eight after thrashing the Bundesliga side 6-1 in Gelsenkirchen in the first leg and coach Carlo Ancelotti rested a host of regulars for the return at the Bernabeu with an eye on Sunday’s La Liga “Clasico” against Barcelona.
Gareth Bale set up Ronaldo for Real’s 21st-minute opener and Schalke levelled 10 minutes later when a long-range Tim Hoogland effort deflected off Sergio Ramos and bounced past the stranded Iker Casillas.
Ronaldo took his tally in this edition of Europe’s elite club competition to 13 goals with his second of the night in the 74th minute. Alvaro Morata added a third for Real a minute later after a Ronaldo effort came back off the crossbar.
It was Real’s biggest aggregate Champions League win after beating APOEL Nicosia 8-2 in 2011-12.
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