Football: UEFA Champions League Quarter Final 1st Leg Results, Tuesday 5 April 2011

Eleven goals were scored in a pair of free-scoring UEFA Champions League 2011 Quarter Final 1st leg match on the evening of Tuesday 5th April 2011.

Inter Milan 2-5 Schalke 04

Schalke came from 2-1 down to record a thrilling 5-2 away win at the San Siro which all but assures them of qualification for a UEFA Champions League Semi Final against either Manchester United or Chelsea.

Stankovic gave Inter the lead after just 1 minutes, before Matip put the visitors level in the 17th minute. Milito restored Inter’s lead, but a 40th minute goal from Goncalves Edu meant the sides came in level at 2-2.

In the second half, Inter threatened for several minutes, but it was Shalke who took the 3-2 lead when Raul scored on 53 minutes, before doubling their lead with an own goal from Andrea Ranocchia five minutes later. Inter defender, Chivu, was sent off for a second yellow card, before Edu added his second on 75 minutes putting the result – and probably the tie – beyond doubt, at 5-2.

Real Madrid 4-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur found bad luck came in threes at the start of their away match at Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid. Aaron Lennon was taken ill moments before kick-off meaning Spurs manager Harry Redknapp was forced to reshuffle his team at the eleventh hour; then Adebayor scored an early header from a set-piece to take a 5th minute lead.

But it was the 15th minute dismissal of Peter Crouch which meant that Tottenham were never in this match, as the tall forward picked up two yellow cards for a brace of lunging tackles in the opening moments that the referee no choice but to send the player from the field.

Tottenham, guided by their excellent captain, Michael Dawson, in the centre of defence, got to half-time with the score at just 1-0 to Real Madrid, and could have had a goal of their own when Dawson played a beauty of a long ball to Gareth Bale, who chested down only to shoot narrowly wide at the end of the half.

In the second period, however, Madrid played with more purpose, and Adebayor soon had his second headed goal of the match in the net, when he rose, unchallenged, to put Real’s second in on 57 minutes. When Di Maria stroked a tremendous curling left-footed shot into the top corner on 72 minutes, all of the fight seemed to drain from Tottenham.

It was no surprise to see Cristiano Ronaldo – who has a phenomenal goal-scoring record for Real (71 goals in 78 games) – volley home, though Gomes, in the Tottenham goal, will be disappointed that the underhit, curling shot squirmed past his left hand into the net after 87 minutes.

Real Madrid, who were excellent tonight, like Shalke, look to have one foot in the next phase already, after an impressive 1st leg performance.

UEFA Champions League 2011 Quarter Final 1st Leg Results – Tuesday 5th April 2011

• Inter Milan 2-5 Schalke 04
• Real Madrid 4-0 Tottenham Hotspur