ISTANBUL — Real Madrid reached
the Champions League semifinals
for the third straight season on
Tuesday despite losing 3-2 at
Galatasaray following a second-
half resurgence by the Turkish
team.
Madrid needed a double from
Cristiano Ronaldo to advance 5-3
on aggregate, but only after
conceding three goals in a 16-
minute span to raise Galatasaray's
hopes of pulling off what would
have been a remarkable comeback.
Ronaldo looked to have wrapped
up the quarterfinal series by
scoring in the seventh minute for a
4-0 overall lead, requiring
Galatasaray to score at least five
goals to advance.
The Portugal forward scored again
in stoppage time for his 48th goal
- including a competition-high 11
in the Champions League - in 47
matches this season. But only
after Galatasaray came alive
following Emmanuel Eboue's 57th-
minute leveler.
Galatasaray forward Wesley
Sneijder scored in the 71st, before
Didier Drogba added another goal
a minute later. Both previously
played under Madrid coach Jose
Mourinho - Sneijder at Inter Milan,
Drogba at Chelsea.
Madrid was hanging on at this
stage as the crowd, whipped up
into a fervor, urged Galatasaray
on.
"During a few minutes, the tie was
open when it shouldn't have been
after we had gone ahead," said
Mourinho. "But when they play
with this passion, and not just
with 11 but with 50,000, anything
is possible."
Madrid right back Alvaro Arbeloa
was sent off in injury time after
being booked twice.
Also on Tuesday, Borussia
Dortmund beat Malaga 3-2 to win
their quarterfinal.
It will be Madrid's 24th semifinal
appearance in Europe's top-tier
club competition, although the
team has been eliminated at that
stage the past two years. It will be
the fourth straight year Mourinho
has reached the final four, having
led Inter to the title in 2010.
Madrid completely dominated the
match until Eboue's equalizer,
which awakened Galatasaray's
attack and transformed the match
from a placid stroll to a frantic
contest largely staged in Madrid's
last third.
"We're happy for the classification,
mission complete," Ronaldo said.
"This match will serve as an
example for us in the future. In
football you cannot just give
chances away. It was our own
fault that the game almost got out
of hand."
Ronaldo opened last week's first
leg with a goal in the ninth minute
to set Madrid on course, and he
bettered that by two minutes
Tuesday as the nine-time winners
search for their first European Cup
since 2002.
Making a tough challenge even
more difficult, Galatasaray was
without suspended top-scorer
Burak Yilmaz, responsible for eight
of the team's 11 goals in the
tournament. But after a tepid first
half, veterans Sneijder and Drogba
proved they were worth their winter
signings.
Madrid is feared for its deadly
pace and firepower on the break,
but its opening goal was a product
of a passing combination, helped
by Galatasaray's porous defense.
Ronaldo slipped along the six yard
box, just staying onside to expertly
redirect Sami Khedira's cross into
the far side of the net with his
right foot after Mesut Oezil had
played his fellow Germany
midfielder clear on the side.
Ronaldo almost set up a second
goal in the 24th when his nifty
back-heeled pass left Angel Di
Maria unmarked in the area, only
for goalkeeper Fernando Muslera
to palm the rising shot and send it
high and wide.
Ronaldo looked sure to double
Madrid's advantage in the 57th
but uncharacteristically stumbled
and sent Di Maria's pass by the
post with Muslera beaten.
Seconds later, Eboue equalized
with a blistering blast from the
edge of the area into the top
corner of the net following a pass
by Sneijder.
The goal ignited the crowd and
Madrid's nerves started fraying.
Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao
came close to gifting Sneijder a
goal when his poor clearance
across his own area gave the
Netherlands midfielder a golden
chance, but he angled his strike
wide.
Sneijder made up for his miss with
a beautiful touch to tap a pass
beyond Raphael Varane, rounding
the defender before slotting the
ball home.
Drogba, who had until then been
little trouble for Madrid's defense,
expertly flicked in Nordin
Amrabat's low cross with the back
of his right heel while facing away
from goal and fending off Varane
to send the home fans wild.
"Our halftime team talk was on the
desire not to lose the game and
this brought the victory,"
Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim
said. "After the third goal, we
started to dream about the
semifinals."
Galatasaray pushed for another
goal - needing two more at that
time due to Madrid's away goal -
but the visitors soaked up the
pressure.
Ronaldo polished off his team's
qualification to the next round
three minutes into injury time by
converting substitute Karim
Benzema's pass.
"Maybe we could not knock Real
Madrid out of the competition but
I think we deserve the respect of
the whole world," Terim said. "We
need to keep our heads high."
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