Manchester United and Juventus were both eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday, while Chelsea and Lyon each advanced to the quarterfinals in other matches.
Francisco Costinha scored the series-winning goal in the 90th minute as UEFA Cup champion FC Porto held two-time titlist Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford and advanced to the last eight with a 3-2 aggregate win.
PHOTO: REUTERS
"You get shocked in life and I suppose you couldn't see that one coming," Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said.
PHOTO: EPA
Juventus, another two-time winner and last year's runner-up, was eliminated by Deportivo de La Coruna, which won both legs 1-0 to advance 2-0 on aggregate.
"It's a bad moment, an unlucky moment for us. We really hoped to win the Champions League this year. Unfortunately we are out," Juve coach Marcello Lippi said.
Chelsea advanced without scoring a goal, beating Stuttgart 1-0 on aggregate after a 0-0 draw and a Stuttgart own-goal by Fernando Meira in the first leg.
Lyon beat Real Sociedad 1-0 for the second time, advancing 2-0 on aggregate, after Juninho scored for Lyon in the 77th minute.
On Wednesday, Real Madrid plays Bayern Munich in Madrid after a 1-1 draw in the first leg; Arsenal hosts Celta de Vigo with a 3-2 lead; AC Milan and Sparta Prague play after a 0-0 draw in the Czech Republic; and Lokomotiv Moscow visits Monaco with a 2-1 lead.
The draw for the quarterfinals will be made on Friday in UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
In Manchester, Porto advanced after Costinha rolled the ball into an empty net after United goalkeeper Tim Howard had blocked a dipping free kick from Benni McCarthy, the South African who had scored Porto's goals in the 2-1 first leg victory.
"To play like we did here I think was fantastic," Porto coach Jose Mourinho said. "Not only for the club and for the players but also for the country and even for the Portuguese national team.
"I think all the Portuguese people can now think of good things for the European Championship in the summer."
It had appeared United was headed for the last eight for the eighth straight season when Paul Scholes headed the Reds into the lead in the 32nd minute, which would have put United into the quarterfinals on the away goals rule.
Scholes also had a second goal incorrectly ruled out for offside just before halftime.
Ferguson said the wrong decision by the linesman robbed his team of a place in the last eight.
"That proved vital. The linesman didn't do his job, but it's one of those things," he said.
"We looked very solid but now we have to accept it and bounce back."
Deportivo got a 12th-minute goal from Uruguayan forward Walter Pandiani at Stadio Delle Alpi to send the Spanish side into the next round.
"The early goal destroyed our morale and determination," midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi said. "We were really confident to recover the first-leg deficit. We had some chances to comeback into the match but failed. It was a great disappointment."
Juve played most of the match without Alessandro Del Piero, who limped off the field in the sixth minute. The Italian team, with a history of comeback wins, attacked strongly in the second half, hitting the crossbar with a long distance lob by Stephane Appiah and missing a couple of scoring chances with Fabrizio Miccoli, Del Piero's substitute.
Pandiani netted the game-winner by taking advantage of a defensive mishap of veterans Ciro Ferrara and Paolo Montero. The two Juventus defenders failed to control the ball as both tried to stop the Uruguayan player on a deep pass. Pandiani scored with a precise curling shot past goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
"Our nerves cracked after Del Piero's injury and the allowed goal upset the tactics we had carefully prepared for this match," Lippi said.
Chelsea, which reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League in its debut in 1999-2000, nearly scored three times in the final 10 minutes.
Jesper Gronkjaer hit the side post and substitute Adrian Mutu scuffed one shot into the chest of advancing Stuttgart goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand. He had another saved by the arm of the 'keeper.
"We wanted to play a little better," Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri said. "Sometimes we play well and we don't win.
"Tonight we didn't play well but we go in quarterfinals and that is important."
Stuttgart also had chances late in the second half. Kevin Kuranyi's shot went into the arms of Chelsea goalkeeper Claudio Cudicini, and Christian Tiffert sent a shot into the side netting.
In Lyon, Juninho exchanged passes with Peguy Luyindula on the edge of the area before clipping a low shot in off the post, making Lyon the 10th French team to reach the quarterfinals.
"I think we deserved to win," Juninho told Canal Plus television. "It was a hard game and happily I managed to get the goal. It really is special to make history. Now anything can happen."
Early on, Russian Valery Karpin broke through Lyon's defense and only Edmilson's fine tackle prevented him from shooting.
Moments later, Juninho's pass released Sidney Govou down the right but the France international was unable to pick out countryman Peguy Luyindula in the penalty area.
Lyon received a blow in the 16th minute when 'keeper Gregory Coupet had to leave the field after sustaining a left wrist injury in a challenge with Igor Gabilondo.
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