News on Top UEFA League: Chelsea Survive Benfica Scare, Madrid Hammer APOEL

UEFA League: Chelsea Survive Benfica Scare, Madrid Hammer APOELwhile in Spain, Real Madrid hammered Cypriot side, Apoel 5-2 to set up a mouth watering clash with Bayern Munich of Germany.
Leading 1-0 from the first leg, Chelsea took the lead when Frank Lampard fired in from the penalty spot.
Oscar Cardoza’s shot was cleared off the line by John Terry before Maxi Pereira was sent off for the visitors.
Javi Garcia headed an equaliser and Benfica pushed for a winner, but Raul Meireles drilled home to seal it.
And in Madrid, Real proved too strong despite Apoel’s defiant performance.
The hosts, with a 3-0 first-leg advantage, took the lead on the night through Cristiano Ronaldo’s close-range finish before Kaka curled in a second.
Apoel’s Gustavo Manduca finished a fine attacking move before Ronaldo scored a free-kick to make it 3-1.
Jose Callejon added a fourth on the break and, after Esteban Solari’s penalty, Angel di Maria chipped in.

Jose Mourinho would have expected a more comfortable evening but will be satisfied to see his team in the last four for just the second time since 2003.
Real are six points clear at the top of La Liga with eight games to go and, as the Portuguese looks to win this competition with a third different club, could still meet domestic rivals and defending champions Barcelona in the final.
Before that, Real must see off Bayern, whom they meet in this competition for a 10th time.
They may have won this competition nine times but Real Madrid are hoping for a first Spanish league and European Cup double since 1958.
They beat the Germans in the semi-finals before their 2000 victory and in the quarter-finals on the way to their last Champions League success in 2002.
Whatever chance Apoel had of preventing that meeting had passed in the first leg and the visitors from Cyprus were content to defend deep from the start, damage limitation perhaps the summit of their aspirations.
Even so, Ronaldo tapped in from a Marcelo cross midway through the opening period to open a four-goal aggregate margin and Kaka, who also hit the post before half-time, bent a shot into the top corner from 25 yards to make it five.
Apoel pulled one back when an impressive attacking move ended with Ailton guiding a ball through for Manduca to clip a shot past Iker Casillas.
Ronaldo restored the two-goal margin on the night with a powerful free-kick from a wide position to take his tally to 49 for the season before Callejon latched on to a long ball to thump in a fourth.
After Hamit Altintop clipped Aldo Adorno in the area, Solari rolled in the penalty but Di Maria, who has been sidelined with a thigh problem, scored Real’s fifth on the night and eighth in all with an impressive chip.