Champions League

Barcelona has advanced to the semifinals of the Champions League with a 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich. Although the Spaniards came to Munich with a virtually unbeatable 4-0 advantage from the first-leg at the Nou Camp, Bayern remained defiant with playmaker Franck Ribery scoring the match's first goal in the 47th minute. However, no soccer miracle was forthcoming against the seasoned Spaniards who equalized in the 73rd minute with a goal by Seydou Keita.

"The best team in the world"

"Of course we had a tiny hope we did not dare mention," Bayern coach Juergen Klinsmann, who was booed by fans, told reporters.

"At the end I was satisfied with the way we played Barcelona. We went out to a team that is one class above us, probably the best in the world," said Klinsmann.

Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer - who was scathing after the first-leg debacle - said the Germans had gone some way to redemption. "I think the team has rehabilitated itself, although Barcelona's equalizing goal was needlessly conceded", said Beckenbauer.

Pressure has been mounting on Klinsmann following disastrous results both in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.Bayern entered the maelstrom on April 4, when they were humiliated 5-1 by Bundesliga front-runners Wolfsburg. They subsequently suffered the afore mentioned 4-0 thrashing by Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final which Bayern's club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge described as a football "lesson". At this stage German media were seriously questionning whether Klinsmann was past his sell-by-date as Bayern coach.

However, beating media forecasts Klinsmann was back at the helm in last weekend's Bundesliga match, and the team managed to relieve some of the pressure on their coach with a 4-0 win at home against Eintracht Frankfurt. Tuesday's draw won't silence the critics and the exit from the Champions League has inextricably linked Klinsmann's fate to the team's performance in the Bundesliga where the second-placed Bayern are looking to topple leading Wolfsburg.

Chelsea oust Liverpool

In Tuesday's second Champions League quarterfinals, Chelsea held on to oust Liverpool 7-5 on aggregate after a 4-4 draw at Stamford.

Fabio Aurelio and Xabi Alonso scored in the first 28 minutes to give Liverpool hope of overturning the 3-1 loss at Anfield. However, these hopes were dashed after Frank Lampard's double, adding to goals by Didier Drogba and Alex Dias da Costa. Liverpool's Lucas Leiva and Dirk Kuyt also scored late in the second half, but to no avail.

It was Liverpool's second successive exit from the Champions League at the hands of Chelsea who beat them in the semi-finals last season.Chelsea will take on Barca in the semis. The first leg is at the Camp Nou on April 28, the second leg in Stamford Bridge on May 6.

The other two semi-final contestants will be determined on Wednesday. Manchester United visit Porto with the tie poised at 2-2 while Arsenal receive Villarreal after having secured a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Spain.