Napoli 1 - Real Madrid 3: Real Madrid weathered an early storm before easing through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 victory over Napoli which gave them a 6-2 win on aggregate.

Real Madrid weathered an early storm before easing through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 victory over Napoli which gave them a 6-2 win on aggregate.

Real Madrid 3 - 1 Napoli

Always prided yourself on knowing your Hamez from your James Rodriguez; your Molby from your Jan Molby, your Sol-shire-ah from your Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Dnipro 1

Napoli coach Rafa Benitez is confident his side can overcome Dnipro tonight and reach the final of the Europa League (8.05pm, live on 3e, ITV4).

Sevilla are targeting an immediate return to winning ways at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium when they host Fiorentina in tonight’s Europa League match (live on 3e, ITV4).

Atletico Madrid remain third in La Liga after they drew 1-1 with fourth-placed Valencia at the Vicente Calderon last night. Koke put the home side ahead but Valencia equalised through Shkodran Mustafi.

Miroslav Stoch headed a dramatic late winner as Slovakia claimed a shock 2-1 victory over champions Spain in their Euro 2016 qualifier in Zilina.

Pope Francis has warned of the risk of money contaminating football and has said he hopes the sense of celebration he enjoyed as a boy returns to sport.

Going into the fifth match of their Champions League campaign, the four German clubs ought to be full of confidence.

Arsenal 2 Napoli 0

Lionel Messi celebrated another goalscoring milestone with four more last night as Barcelona demolished 10-man Osasuna 5-1 at the Nou Camp.

Marco Reus and Toni Kroos both helped themselves to two goals apiece as Germany made an emphatic statement of intent in World Cup Qualifying Group C with a 6-1 rout of Ireland in Dublin.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo matched each other blow for blow at the Nou Camp last night, bagging two goals apiece as Barcelona and Real Madrid battled out an entertaining draw in the first Clasico of the Primera Division season.

Branislav Ivanovic was Chelsea’s unlikely hero with the extra-time winner that means there is still one English club in the Champions League.

Chelsea 4 Napoli 1 (AET, Chelsea win 5-4 on aggregate)

“It’s like a final,” said Juan Mata yesterday of Chelsea’s match against Napoli.

As the flares were lit around a raucous Stadio San Paulo in Naples, it was hard not to think that Andre Villas-Boas’ career as Chelsea manager was also going up in smoke.

Napoli 3 Chelsea 1

Fernando Torres and Edinson Cavani — tonight’s match in Naples is packed with intriguing contrasts but none perhaps as telling as the contrasting fortunes of two strikers.

Andre Villas-Boas has dismissed suggestions he will be sacked as Chelsea manager if his side lose at Napoli tonight and insists he is already planning for next season.

BAFETIMBI GOMIS struck four times as Lyon routed 10-man Dinamo Zagreb 7-1 in Zagreb and completed a remarkable nine-goal swing to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League ahead of Group D rivals Ajax.

Manchester City are facing an early exit from the Champions League after a shattering loss at Napoli last night.

MANCHESTER CITY may be riding high in the Premier League but their Champions League hopes are out of their hands after Roberto Mancini’s side crashed to a 2-1 defeat to Napoli last night.

Napoli 2 Manchester City 1

CHAMPIONS League Group A looked a killer as soon as the draw was made, although no one could have predicted that Villarreal would be languishing on nul points like some ill-fated entry in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Macedonia 1 Slovakia 1

Slovakia 0 Russia 1

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI’S worst instincts were all but confirmed in Zilina last night — the Russians are to blame for his mountain hike in Andorra.

Man City 1 Napoli 1

ARMENIA stunned Slovakia with four second-half goals in Zilina to blow Ireland’s Euro 2012 qualifying Group B wide open.

Armenia stunned Slovakia with four second-half goals in Zilina to blow Euro 2012 qualifying Group B wide open.

YOU won’t hear too much talk about a record six-in-a-row clean sheets after this European Championship body blow at the Aviva.

THE good news first. This was Ireland’s sixth consecutive clean sheet. That concludes the good news.

A DISPIRITINGLY underwhelming night then. In every sense. It’s as you were for both Slovakia and Ireland in the group but, crucially, as you were for Giovanni Trapattoni’s approach.

Republic of Ireland 0 Slovakia 0

Kevin Doyle won a late reprieve as the Republic of Ireland attempted to edge their way closer to qualification for the Euro 2012 finals.

SLOVAKIAN playmaker Marek Hamsik has no more than a 50-50 chance of featuring in tonight’s European Championship clash against the Republic of Ireland, according to his manager Vladimir Weiss.

Vladimir Weiss will not rely on his enviable record against Italians as he attempts to guide Slovakia past the Republic of Ireland tomorrow night.

SLOVAKIA captain Marek Hamsik travelled to Dublin with his international teammates on Wednesday night but vowed to play in Friday’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Ireland only if he is 100%.

SHAY GIVEN is successfully fighting through the pain barrier to be fit for Ireland’s game against Slovakia on Friday.