A $340 million spending spree failed to bring success to Real Madrid in the European Champions League.
The Spanish power was eliminated by Lyon in the second round with a 1-1 tie Wednesday night, when Manchester United advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-0 rout of AC Milan and David Beckham.
“This Real Madrid project isn’t just about one year, it’s much longer-term than that,” Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini said.
At Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo put the home team ahead in the sixth minute, but Miralem Pjalic tied it in the 75th and Lyon won the home-and-home, total-goals series on 2-1 aggregate.
“It was a nice night out,” Lyon coach Claude Puel said. “In the first half Real Madrid posed plenty of problems for us.”
Real Madrid acquired Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso last summer in a bid to regain the European title it last won in 2002. This season was especially important to the club because Real Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabeu is host to the Champions League final on May 22.
“We’re still top of the league,” Pellegrini said in reference to La Liga, where Madrid tops Barcelona on goal difference.
At Manchester, Wayne Rooney scored twice in Beckham’s return to Old Trafford, and Park Ji-sung and Darren Fletcher had one goal each as Manchester United breezed to a 7-2 aggregate win over the seven-time champions. Rooney also scored twice in the first leg and has 30 goals this season.
“It was an impressive night for us,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “When we play at that tempo, we’re difficult to play against.”
Beckham entered in the 64th minute and was given a standing ovation in his first match against United at Old Trafford since leaving seven years ago.
“It was nice to be back and obviously a disappointing night,” he said. “It was an unbelievable reception and I have to say thank you.”
Rooney headed in a cross from Gary Neville in the 13th minute, then beat goalkeeper Christian Abbiati to a cross from Nani to chip home in the 46th. Park scored off a feed from Paul Scholes in the 59th, and Fletcher headed Rafael da Silva’s cross over Abbiati in the 87th.
“We can’t deny what a powerful, strong performance United put in. They played a truly great game,” Milan coach Leonardo said. “It was a strange match and didn’t show the truth about our team.”
United fans kept up their protests against the Glazer family, who took over the club in 2005 and has encumbered the three-time European champions with $1.1 billion debt.
Across the stadium, many in the crowd of 74,595 held up protest scarves in green and gold of Newton Heath, the original incarnation of United, rather than club’s colors of red and black. Beckham left the field wearing one of the protest scarves.
Near the end, supporters continuously chanted: “We want Glazers out!” and unfurled “Love United, Hate Glazer” banner.
Arsenal and Bayern Munich advanced to the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Next week, Inter Milan and coach Jose Mourinho take a 2-1 lead to Chelsea, CSKA Moscow is at Sevilla tied 1-1, Barcelona hosts Stuttgart tied 1-1 and Bordeaux is home to Olimpiakos with a 1-0 lead.
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