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Results Based News

First blood to Prem teams

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 26/02/2009

Liverpool and Chelsea will both take 1-0 leads into the second legs of their Champions League last 16 ties after victories over Real Madrid and Juventus respectively.

Yossi Benayoun's late header secured a narrow advantage for the Reds against the Spanish champions at the Bernabeu, surprising online betting experts.

However, Liverpool's win came at a cost as star striker Fernando Torres limped off in the second half with an ankle problem which could, according to early estimates, keep him out of action for the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, Didier Drogba struck in the 12th minute at Stamford Bridge to ensure Chelsea will travel to Turin in two weeks' time with their own slender lead.

Bayern Munich have one foot in the quarter-finals already after a stunning 5-0 demolition of Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, while Villarreal and Panathinaikos drew 1-1 in Spain.

In the FA Cup, Middlesbrough made light of their troubles near the foot of the Premier League table as they dumped out West Ham United.

Goals from Stewart Downing and Sanli Tuncay in the first half of their fifth round replay at the Riverside Stadium set up a quarter-final meeting with Everton.

Cardiff City and Queens Park Rangers drew 0-0 in the Championship in what was a blow to the Welsh club's hopes of winning automatic promotion.

Tiger Woods made a winning return to action as the world number one began his defence of the WGC-Accenture Match Play tournament with a straightforward 3&2 victory over Australia's Brendan Jones.

Woods, who was playing his first event since knee reconstruction surgery eight months ago, started with a birdie and was never in trouble at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Arizona.

However, the same could not be said for fellow top seeds Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia, who are both catching early flights home after first round defeats to Pat Perez (1up) and Charl Schwartzel (1up).

There were safe passages into the second round for Phil Mickelson plus Britons Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, Oliver Fisher, Ross Fisher, Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy.

In tennis, Andy Murray beat Arnaud Clement 6-2 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP event in Dubai.

The British number one was again hampered by an ankle injury but will now play Richard Gasquet in the last eight on Thursday.

Murray won the last meeting of the two in a five-set thriller at Wimbledon in 2008.

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