Stefano Pioli wanted to focus on enjoying Milan reaching the Champions League last four on Tuesday rather than a potential semi-final meeting with fierce rivals Inter.

Olivier Giroud's first-half strike proved the difference as Milan progressed 2-1 on aggregate past Napoli, who pulled a late goal back through Victor Osimhen at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Inter could await in the next knockout round for Pioli's side if the Nerazzurri can overcome Benfica on Wednesday, Simone Inzaghi's side leading 2-0 on aggregate heading into the return leg at San Siro.

But Pioli was insistent on celebrating Milan's achievements in reaching their first Champions League semi-final since 2007 after a 1-1 draw sent them through in Naples.

"I prefer to enjoy this qualification, whoever happens will happen," the Milan coach said at his post-match press conference when asked about facing Inter.

"Whoever makes it through, it will be a great semi-final of the Champions League."

The last-four clash will mark Milan's seventh semi-final in UEFA's premier club competition, the joint-most from an Italian side along with Juventus since the Champions League rebrand in the 1992-93 term.

"Another big step that the group has climbed," Pioli added. 

"I thank the club for helping us and I'm happy for the fans who helped us to overcome difficult moments with their support."

Napoli have failed to progress from four of their five Champions League knockout ties, with their only success coming in the last-16 round this season against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Luciano Spalletti's side are also without a win in their last three games in all competitions (D2 L1), having failed to win just three of their 16 previous games (W13 D1 L2).

Yet Napoli will likely soon be crowned Serie A champions, leading the Scudetto race by 14 points with eight games remaining, which made the triumph even sweeter for Pioli.

He added: "Napoli will deservedly win the championship and we are all the more proud of having managed to eliminate them.

"We have put so much into these two games and we won."

The last time Chelsea binned off Frank Lampard, they won the Champions League four months later.

They brought him back, have immediately lost four games on the trot and won't be kings of Europe this year. Nor will they be contesting this competition next year.

Sometimes good things come to an end, but Chelsea and Lampard have past glories they can rely on and seem happy enough together again, so don't cry for them.

All those signings in January, and then this? All the brilliant leadership from Todd Boehly, and then this?

Real Madrid have more past glories than any club in the history of this competition, landing their 14th title last May, and they cleared the Chelsea hurdle after Carlo Ancelotti somehow outwitted Lampard.

Honestly, who saw that coming?

This was football as some sort of abstract performance art from the men in blue and their boss.

Stealth tactics, confuse the hell out of them. Play N'Golo Kante as a roving forward, why not? Have Conor Gallagher as the man nodding down crosses for the little Frenchman, why not? Madrid won't know what's hit 'em!

On seeing Chelsea's starting line-up, featuring world-beating holding midfielder Kante as the frontline attack dog, snooker star and Blues fan Neil Robertson tweeted: "I'm a little confused with this lineup. Hopefully a master plan!"

Sure Neil, let's call this a master plan. Just like playing a frame of snooker with the butt end of a cue would be considered a sound tactic, this was a master plan all right.

Eleven minutes in, this supreme strategy should have brought Chelsea a goal when Reece James' cross broke to an unmarked Kante.

From 12 yards the French World Cup winner surely would hit the opening goal and give Chelsea the dream start they were after.

Reader, he did not. A wild swing of the left boot sent the ball wide, but my word, did Madrid already look confused.

After playing 30 games in the Champions League without ever scoring, it was surely a matter of time before Kante broke that duck in this game. He was born to be the match winner.

James took a hapless touch on another Chelsea attack and Madrid's Vinicius Junior shepherded the ball out of play for a goal kick, being told to 'f*** off' by at least one Chelsea supporter for his efforts.

Madrid were surely on the ropes now with such vitriol adding to their woes.

Sure, Rodrygo whacked a shot against the outside of the Chelsea right post. But the home side were flying.

Kante had four touches in the first 20 minutes, the fewest of any player on the pitch. Madrid were being lulled into a false sense of security, their 2-0 first-leg lead suddenly so vulnerable.

Sure, Luka Modric’s sharp shot from a tight angle was then bundled behind by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea full-back James got in on the right and looked to play a quick ball to the striker attacking the near post, except that player unfortunately did not exist.

In the 38th minute, Kante was the man dashing down the right, and the makeshift winger’s cross would have been ideal if Chelsea had a striker in their ranks. As it was, it ran through the penalty area and out again before Madrid cleared their lines.

Kante then won a corner, and Kai Havertz flicked it on, Conor Gallagher headed it up, and nobody nodded it in.

In first-half stoppage time, Chelsea had the best chance of the half, when James' delicious low cross from the right inevitably missed the players in the middle and ran through to left-back Marc Cucurella.

The £55million defender was not necessarily acquired for his finishing, having only netted once for Brighton and Hove Albion, and he duly kept up his record of never having netted for Chelsea as Thibaut Courtois kept out his strike.

By half-time, Kante had pulled level with the goalkeepers on 17 touches each. Progress.

The chances kept coming after the break and Kante had another glorious opportunity when Gallagher nodded the ball down. Kante got to the ball and smacked his shot straight at defender Eder Militao.

Havertz trickled a low shot straight at Courtois, and Madrid were surely by now boggled by this master class in mind games. You could knock them down with a feather by this point.

Yet after almost an hour of banter-ball, Madrid scored when a short pass from Vinicius teed up Rodrygo to smash in from close range.

But wait! In the 67th minute, Lampard introduced three players with goals in their veins: Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix.

Hold them back until the game's lost, Frank, then unleash them, baby!

The Spanish giants withdrew Benzema after 70 minutes, sparing him from such advanced confusion tactics.

All Chelsea needed now was four goals.

Madrid scored next, Federico Valverde dancing past Thiago Silva and squaring for Rodrygo to net again. Two-nil on the night, four-nil on aggregate.

Just five goals needed now.

Frank, I don't think this is going quite to plan.

Paula Badosa believes she can break back into the world's top three after cruising past Daria Kasatkina at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, where Emma Raducanu crashed out on Tuesday.

Seventh seed Kasatkina had no answers in Stuttgart as she fell to a 6-1 6-1 defeat against Badosa, who recorded the ninth top-10 victory of her career and first in exactly 12 months.

Badosa has won 29 clay-court matches in the last three seasons – only Ons Jabeur (35) and Iga Swiatek (30) have won more – but the Spaniard had to enter this tournament as a wildcard.

The 25-year-old was as high as second in the world last year but has fallen to 31st, and she outlined her goal to reach the top once more after her first-round win set up an all-Spanish meeting with Cristina Bucsa.

When asked about her ambitions to return to the world's top three, Badosa said: "That's what I'm working on every day. That's one of my goals – I want to be back on the top.

"I like to play big matches, I like to be in the last rounds of the tournaments. I still know I have that level. I still know I was that player. I still believe in myself, and I hope I'm back there very soon."

Jelena Ostapenko eased into the second round with similar dominance after downing Raducanu 6-2 6-1 in just 58 minutes, teeing up a meeting with world number four Ons Jabeur on Wednesday.

Latvian Ostapenko powered 19 forehand winners and went unbroken, acknowledging in her on-court interview that familiar aggression was key to her success in the battle of two one-time grand slam winners.

"I knew against her the main thing was to step in the court," said former French Open winner Ostapenko. "I missed some balls, but I tried to be aggressive all the time when it was possible.

"Just try to take the ball early, don't give her many chances. And finally, I'm back on clay, my favourite surface."

Barbora Krejcikova was another straight-sets winner, scoring a 6-2 6-0 triumph over Liudmila Samsonova, with the reward for the 2021 Roland Garros champion being a tricky clash against second seed and Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka.

There was no such ease for Anastasia Potapova in a battling 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-4) victory over Petra Martic, the Russian's ninth third-set win in 2023 – no WTA Tour player has managed more.

Tatjana Maria overcame Ylena In-Albon 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-4) in another enticing clash, while Beatriz Haddad Maia advanced after Martina Trevisan was forced to retire when trailing 7-5 1-1 due to a right thigh injury.

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City face a stiff test of character against a Bayern Munich side whose defiance he says is "in their skin".

Although City lead 3-0 from the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, Guardiola claims his side will on Wednesday be facing a Bayern team who firmly believe they can turn the tie around.

City have looked to have ties wrapped up before and then imploded, most recently in last season's semi-finals when they led Real Madrid 5-3 on aggregate as stoppage time approached in the second leg, only to still be knocked out.

Asked whether he was more confident than before in his group of players getting the job done, Guardiola said on Tuesday: "I would like to say yes, but I don't know. Every game is completely different.

"I didn't say to the team to be careful with Bayern Munich, how difficult they are. They are not relaxed because they felt it, they know it, how good the [Bayern] team is.

"The opponent has many, many weapons, and that's why you have to be yourself. What do you have to do to achieve it? Be ourselves as much as possible."

Guardiola said City were "here for business" and confirmed Phil Foden would be a substitute on his return from appendicitis.

The Catalan coach is on the brink of personal history, being one away from reaching 100 wins in the Champions League, a feat only previously achieved by Carlo Ancelotti (105) and Alex Ferguson (102).

Should be complete that century on Wednesday, it would have come in just 158 games, with Ancelotti having needed 180 games and Ferguson 184.

Guardiola said City had not come to Munich to sit on their lead, but as and when the circumstances demand it, they will dig in defensively.

"I don't understand the situation of coming here just to defend something," said Guardiola, who coached Bayern from 2013 to 2016. "We come here to play one football game. If you think about just the result and what you have to do, or what we have done in the past, it would be a big mistake for us.

"We are going to defend, for sure. It happened in Manchester. For part of the game, they were better, and we had to defend, and we're going to defend tomorrow.

"For us, it's an opportunity. You see the [Bayern] trophy cabinet and how many times they have played this type of game in their incredible history, it is a lot.

"We are a few. We're going to try to impose our game. We come here knowing the quality they have, adapt quick to maybe some new formation of the opponent, and do our game.

"We talk about the game we have to play and not talk about the result we had one week ago. It's what you have to do in the game and focus in every single action to do what you have to do to get the result as best as possible to reach the semi-final."

Guardiola suspects Thomas Tuchel and Bayern will be saying much the same thing.

"I've been here at Bayern Munich and know the mentality of this club," Guardiola said. "It's everywhere: it's in [the club's HQ at] Sabener Strasse, it's in their skin.

"I know they believe they can do it, and we believe, too."

Guardiola expects Bayern's Thomas Muller to start, having only been a substitute in the first leg.

Should that be the case, City captain Ilkay Gundogan will be among those keeping a close eye on the man who can make Bayern tick, whom he knows well from their time together in Germany's midfield.

Gundogan's City future remains in the balance, with his contract expiring at the end of June, and the 32-year-old could offer no guidance on whether he will be staying in Manchester.

"There are talks. Obviously there are talks in the background. That's quite normal with just a couple of months left," Gundogan said. "Before going too much into details, there is nothing decided yet, not from my side and not from the club's side."

The skipper was delighted to hear Guardiola wants him to stay, saying: "I appreciate it a lot. We've been together seven years, and it's been amazing. We've won a lot together and to hear things like that brings me joy, brings me a smile and makes me appreciate what I've done in the seven years."

City have only lost one of their last 20 matches against German teams in the Champions League (W16 D3), losing away to RB Leipzig in the 2021-22 group stage.

They are unbeaten in their nine games against German sides in the knockout stages of the competition (W8 D1), although Bayern have only lost both legs of a Champions League knockout tie twice before, and both times it came against Real Madrid – in the 2013-14 semi-finals and the 2016-17 quarter-finals.

Their heaviest aggregate defeat was in the first of those ties, losing 5-0 against the Spanish side when Guardiola was Bayern head coach.

Roger Schmidt called on Benfica to "prove we belong here" as he targets a comeback in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Benfica face Inter at San Siro on Wednesday, trailing 2-0 from the first leg in Lisbon last week.

The Portuguese giants have already won away to Italian opposition in the Champions League this season, beating Juventus 2-1 during the group stage, though they were winless in six such games prior to that match (D1 L5).

Schmidt's team are also unbeaten in seven Champions League away matches; they have won their last two games on the road and will need to win three in a row for the first time since March 1990 if they are to progress to the final four.

Benfica have been one of the standout performers in this season's tournament, and Schmidt wants his side to prove their credentials.

"We need to score, which we've proved that we can do in important Champions League matches," he said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"We had our chances last week too but didn't make the most of them.

"We need motivation, sharp minds and leave all emotions off the pitch. It is time to prove we belong here, otherwise we'll be out of the Champions League.

"I've seen my team play at their best and there were big margins of improvement from the performance I saw last week.

"I believe in my team and anything is possible in football, even if we are not starting from 50-50 odds. It's not easy, but it is not impossible either."

Benfica's defeat last week was wedged between domestic losses to Porto and Chaves.

Schmidt added: "It is very strange to have lost three games in a row in all competitions, and unexpected.

"The players did fantastic things all season. Even if Inter won 2-0, the statistics show it was a fairly balanced match and we had our chances too.

"It's impossible to be too downbeat after a season like this."

Allen Robinson is on the move again, reportedly being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers from the Los Angeles Rams.

The 29-year-old wide receiver is travelling to Pittsburgh on Tuesday for a physical, according to reports, and the trade will be completed if he passes.

There is no word on what the Rams are getting in return.

Robinson requested a trade out of Los Angeles last month and a move to Pittsburgh would mark a third team in as many seasons for the former Pro Bowler.

Robinson signed a three-year, $46.5million contract with the Rams in March 2022, but he added little to the offense, finishing with 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games last season as Los Angeles endured a dismal defence of their Super Bowl title.

He spent the previous four years with the Chicago Bears after playing his first four professional seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft.

A nine-year veteran, Robinson has three 1,000-yard receiving seasons – most recently with the Bears in 2020, when he had a career-high 102 receptions for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns.

In the two seasons since then, however, he’s caught just 71 passes for 749 yards and four TDs in 22 games.

His most receiving yards came during his Pro Bowl season of 2015, when his 1,400 receiving yards ranked sixth in the league.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz cruised into the third round of the Barcelona Open with a 6-3 6-1 straight sets rout of Nuno Borges.

The world number two thrilled his home crowd with a ruthless performance against his Portuguese opponent to reach the last 16, converting five break points along the way.

Alcaraz will be joined in the next round by third seed Casper Ruud, after the Norweigian overcame American Ben Shelton in a 6-2 7-6 (7-1) victory.

Roberto Bautista Agut will not join them, however, after he suffered a 6-2 6-2 loss to Bernabe Zapata Miralles.

At the BMW Open, Dominic Thiem set up a second-round clash with Marc-Andrea Husler after receiving a walkover against Constant Lestienne.

The 2020 US Open winner had been leading 6-3 when the match was abandoned at 0-0 in the second set, as fifth seed Sebastian Baez slipped to a 6-3 7-5 loss against home favourite Oscar Otte in Munich.

Constantine Hatzidakis will return to action on Saturday in the Championship after being cleared over his dramatic clash with Liverpool defender Andy Robertson.

The assistant referee was investigated by the Football Association over an incident during the Reds' Premier League game with Arsenal earlier this month.

Television footage appeared to show that Hatzidakis' elbow made contact with Robertson's chin at the end of the first half, for which the official has said he has apologised.

He will feature in the second tier for his return as an assistant referee in the Championship game between Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers at Deepdale.

Hatzidakis will then be back in the Premier League next Tuesday when he is on VAR duty for Leeds United against Leicester City at Elland Road.

Ilkay Gundogan promised Manchester City "will fight to the end" as they bid to match Manchester United's famous 1998-99 treble feat.

Captain Gundogan is in his seventh season at City and is chasing a fifth Premier League title, a second FA Cup and a first Champions League crown.

United great Gary Neville has described City as being "far too close for comfort" to matching the Red Devils' famous feat of 24 years ago.

This week sees City in Champions League and FA Cup action, with a 3-0 advantage to carry into their European quarter-final second leg at Bayern Munich on Wednesday ahead of a domestic semi-final against Sheffield United at Wembley on Saturday.

They are in hot pursuit of a faltering Arsenal in the Premier League and host the Gunners next week in that competition.

City have never won the Champions League and ending that wait is becoming an obsession, a remarkable situation considering they were relegated to the third tier of English football 25 years ago.

Huge investment since has made the dream possible, and Gundogan said: "Of course we want to win this trophy. It's our big dream to win the Champions League."

In an interview with German outlet T-Online, he added: "But we want to win all the trophies this year. It's going to be a really exciting end to this season, and we're going to fight for it to the end."

The midfielder, whose contract expires after this campaign, described it as the players' "responsibility to do everything we can to end the season strong so that we can all celebrate success in the end".

It was Gundogan who scored twice in the closing moments of last season as City came from 2-0 behind to beat Aston Villa 3-2 and win the Premier League title.

This term he has managed five goals and four assists, well down on his return from the past two campaigns (2021: 17 goals, four assists; 2022: 10 goals, seven assists), but he remains highly influential and City would like to keep him.

It remains to be seen whether Gundogan remains a City player when the Euro 2024 finals roll around next year, with Germany hosting.

The 32-year-old certainly hopes to still be in favour with his national team, saying it "would be a privilege" to feature.

Considering Germany have gone out in the group stage at the last two World Cups, and lost to England in the last 16 of the delayed Euro 2020 finals, they will have to markedly step it up if they are to be competitive in front of home crowds.

"We all know that we have to improve and deliver better performances and results – even before the tournament," Gundogan said.

Thomas Tuchel has called on Bayern Munich to ignite the "spark" required to give them hope of a stunning Champions League comeback against Manchester City.

Bayern were beaten 3-0 at City in their quarter-final first leg, leaving Tuchel's side a mountain to climb in Wednesday's return match.

City were imperious at the Etihad Stadium, dominating Bayern despite the visiting coach's claims his team had performed well.

There is understandable talk of the need for "a miracle" in the German media, with only four teams in Champions League history having overturned a three-goal deficit in a two-legged knockout tie.

But Tuchel knows Bayern will have to go out and grasp the game – and the attention of the Allianz Arena crowd – to have any chance.

"We can't conjure up a miracle. Therefore, of course, the approach is different," he said. "At 1-1, everyone believes. At 3-0, it's all about finding a realistic level.

"Our game on Saturday [a 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim] certainly didn't contribute to that.

"We believe in ourselves and in winning both halves. Anything is possible in football, so small moments are part of it. It's about finding faith and having faith.

"At the same time, believing does not mean dreaming. We are responsible for ensuring that the spark is ignited and that we take the crowd with us."

Tuchel acknowledged that "spark" was missing against Hoffenheim, making their task more difficult against a City team in top form on a 10-match winless run.

Describing "an absolute challenge", Tuchel said City have "been in top form for weeks" while Bayern are "missing a bit right now".

There is particular focus on two individuals following the events of the first leg.

Sadio Mane was suspended for the Hoffenheim game and fined following a confrontation with Leroy Sane in the Etihad Stadium dressing room, but he will be back in the squad, Tuchel said.

Meanwhile, Dayot Upamecano's form has been questioned after he endured a difficult first leg, making a costly error for the second goal as Erling Haaland teed up Bernardo Silva.

"I don't think the duel with Erling Haaland was problematic," Tuchel said of the centre-back. "It was that one decision and the risk he took. He knows he needs to improve.

"There is no point in pointing the finger at individuals. We have been brutally punished. But we stand by him, he's still young and has great potential."