Frontrunners lead the way

London will be represented by two clubs in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after Arsenal FC followed Chelsea FC's lead by qualifying tonight. Real Madrid CF, AS Monaco FC and AC Milan will also be in Friday's draw following the conclusion of the first knockout round.

Commanding position
Arsenal FC were in a commanding position to progress against RC Celta de Vigo following a 3-2 away win a fortnight ago, their first success on Spanish soil. Unbeaten in the English Premiership this season and through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, Arsenal transferred their domestic dominance on to the European stage with a sumptuous display of attacking first-half football at Highbury, during which time Thierry Henry scored twice to send Arsène Wenger's side through 5-2 on aggregate.

Zidane winner
The 2001 winners FC Bayern München were tonight's biggest casualties, Real Madrid CF winning 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu to seal a 2-1 aggregate triumph. Zinedine Zidane scored the only goal of the game in the 32nd minute, the France playmaker popping up unmarked at the far post to touch in the loose ball after the diminutive Míchel Salgado beat the sizeable Robert Kovac in the air.

Two for Shevchenko
Milan, who replaced Madrid as European champions by defeating Juventus FC in last season's final at Old Trafford, survived a scare to eliminate AC Sparta Praha with a 4-1 victory on the night and on aggregate. Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko may been profligate in Prague, yet class is permanent and the duo headed goals either side of Tomáš Jun's leveller to pave the way for a Milan triumph sealed by the Ukrainian's second goal in the 79th minute and a deflected effort from Gennaro Gattuso soon after.

Pršo reprieve
Monaco striker Dado Pršo featured prominently in the key moments at the Stade Louis II, where the Croatian's goal on the hour settled tonight's match against FC Lokomotiv Moskva, and the tie on the away goals rule following a 2-1 defeat in the Russian capital. Pršo, who is now the joint highest scorer in this season's competition with the eliminated Roy Makaay on six goals, had earlier seen his penalty saved majestically by Sergei Ovchinnikov in the 19th minute, two minutes before Lokomotiv captain Dmitri Loskov saw red for a second yellow.

Gelsenkirchen final
Tonight's successful teams join Chelsea, FC Porto, Olympique Lyonnais and RC Deportivo La Coruña in Friday's quarter-final draw. The next round of matches will take place on 23/24 March and 6/7 April, when eight clubs will be striving to take another step towards the final, which will be staged in the German city of Gelsenkirchen on 26 May.