Milan and Monaco advance to quarters
Milan eased into the last eight with a routine but effective second-leg victory. On a bitterly cold night, Carlo Ancelotti's team showed few signs of relinquishing their hold on the trophy, but they needed a moment of penalty-box brilliance from Filippo Inzaghi to send them on their way.
Two second-half Shevchenko goals and a late strike from Gennaro Gattuso made the game safe after Tomá Jun's away goal had startled the Rossoneri into action.
Milan's set-up, as usual, was designed to give Kaka a platform to work across the pitch ahead of the industrial coalface of Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini.
The best chances of the half were well worked down Milan's left. Milan full-back Giuseppe Pancaro found Shevchenko at the back post in the 34th minute and his delicate header made an opening for Inzaghi. The Italian international stooped to glance his header past Blazek but the Czech keeper narrowed the angle well.
When the goal came, two minutes into added time at the end of the first half, it was from a moment of brilliance from Inzaghi.
Cafu placed a cross from the right to the near post and Inzaghi, darting in front of Johana, back-flicked a looping header over Blazek and in off the bar.
The big shock came just before the hour. Kotrba had replaced the ineffective Luká Zelenka with Jun and two minutes later he scored.
It took just seven minutes for the holders to hit back, Pancaro's first-time cross flying to the back post, over Vladimír Labant, where Shevchenko was running in to nod in.
With 11 minutes left Kaka finally lost his marker, chipped the ball over the overly flat Sparta back four and the Ukrainian striker ran on to whip the ball past Blazek.
As the floodgates opened Gattuso's late run and shot left Johana helplessly deflecting the ball into his own net to make Milan's win complete.
In the night's other game, AS Monaco FC became the second French club to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals as they defeated 10-man FC Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0 at the Stade Louis II to qualify on the away goals rule.
Croatian striker Dado Pro missed a first-half penalty but made amends by scoring the game's only goal.
The match came to life in the 18th minute when Adebayor was pushed to the ground inside the penalty area as he threatened to pounce on Rothen's cross. However, Pro's spot-kick was brilliantly saved by Ovchinnikov low to his left.
The home supporters' nerves were eased on the hour when Monaco took the lead after a lovely move, Bernardi collecting a return pass in the inside- left channel and crossing low for Pro to gratefully turn the ball into the bottom corner.
The visitors struggled to make an impression going forward thereafter as the Monaco midfield closed down quickly and ensured their side's place in the last eight.
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