Stars und Sternchen! » Timberwolves on Thursday

LONDON -- Samuel Etoo and Gary Cahill scored first half goals as Chelsea turned in a dominant performance to beat Galatasaray 2-0 on Tuesday and reach the Champions League quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory on aggregate. Galatasarays former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba made no impact on his return to Stamford Bridge, being reduced to a minor role like the rest of his teammates in the second leg match of the last 16. Playing his first game at Chelsea since his last kick for the Blues won a penalty shootout with Bayern Munich in the final two years ago, Drogba received a warm welcome from the home fans. But Etoo quickly stole the spotlight, opening the scoring from a tight angle in the fourth minute. Cahill doubled the lead from close range in the 42nd. In the nights other match, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid beat Schalke 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu to reach the quarterfinals with a 9-2 rout on aggregate. Drogba looked a shadow of his former self and did not have a single clear-cut chance. But both his manager Roberto Mancini and his former coach Jose Mourinho jumped to his defence. "It was not his fault, it was very difficult for him because we did not play tonight," Mancini said. Mourinho said his former protege was not helped by his teammates after they failed to produce attacking football. "We were very solid and very confident, we controlled the game," Mourinho said. "If youre a striker and your team doesnt attack, you feel a lonely man." All eyes were on Drogba as he entered the pitch to start his warm-up at a nearly empty stadium. The Ivory Coast forward did not change his usual routine, touching the grass and crossing himself before joining his teammates. After being lured from Marseille by Mourinho, Drogba scored 157 goals in 341 appearances for the London club between 2004-12 and was voted the greatest player in the clubs history. As teams entered the pitch before kickoff, Drogba pointed a finger towards the Chelsea kop where a banner reading "Drogba Legend" had been unfurled. He then ran to the touchline to give a handshake and a kiss to Mourinho. Though the spotlight was on Drogba, Etoo soon gave Chelsea a perfect start to the game. Eden Hazard linked up well with Oscar to release the ball for the Cameroon striker, who fired past goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Wesley Sneijder struggled to build any attacks from midfield for the visitors, while Etoo created further danger from the right flank before his attempted cut-back was blocked by defenders. Drogba then tried his luck from the edge of the box but his acrobatic volley ended well over the bar in a moment that summed up his return to his former club. Toying with defenders with his usual frenzied pace and dribbles, Hazard produced another stellar performance for Chelsea. The Belgium playmaker was behind nearly all his sides attacks and his relentless efforts made it a tiring night for the Galatasaray defence. Hazard and Oscar exchanged a series of one-twos in the 22nd minute before the Belgium international crossed for Lampard, who missed his attempt and sent the ball over. Hazard took a shot from distance two minutes later but his effort was stopped by Muslera. Chelsea went closer in the 33rd minute when captain John Terrys superb left-footed volley from Lampards free kick flew over the bar with Muslera looking beaten. Another fast move between Hazard and Oscar almost paid off but Alex Telles return pass prevented Willian from doubling the lead. Chelseas tenacity was finally rewarded before the interval when Cahill scored from the rebound with a powerful finish after Muslera had parried away Terrys header from a corner. Hazard continued to torment Galatasarays defence in the second half. In the 49th, he went on a diagonal run across the pitch and evaded Semih Kaya before releasing the ball for Etoo -- but Oscars shot from the strikers cross was blocked by Melo. Though Galatasaray pushed forward in search of a goal, Chelsea comfortably kept the visitors at bay while being dangerous on the break until the final whistle. Drogba left the pitch to a standing ovation as Chelsea fans chanted his name. Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard was delighted with sides performance in west London. "It was everything we wanted it to be. We knew it was going to be a tough game and they hardly threatened," Lampard said. "It was a very controlled, very professional performance from all of us," said After Manchester City and Arsenal exited the competition last week, Manchester United will try to join Chelsea in the last eight when it hosts Olympiakos on Wednesday. However, David Moyes team needs to overhaul a 2-0 loss in the first leg to advance. Brian Dawkins Jersey . De La Rosa pitched six strong innings to win his sixth consecutive decision, Todd Helton homered and the Colorado Rockies snapped the Los Angeles Dodgers six-game winning streak with a 7-5 victory on Wednesday night. Peyton Manning Jersey . Balotelli was out at dinner with his brother Enoch and came home to discover he had been burgled. The car was later found abandoned. Balotelli wrote Saturday on Twitter: "I feel empty! No emotions . http://www.officialdenverbroncosfootball.com/authentic-courtland-sutton-jersey-womens . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. DaeSean Hamilton Jersey . -- Josh Smith made a 3-pointer as time expired and finished with 20 points to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 99-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night in both teams exhibition finale. Derek Wolfe Jersey . Hes the same player he always was, only now his efforts are being rewarded. The rookie manager has made a habit of heaping praise on others when things are going well, and accepting criticism when they arent. But in the case of Hurtado, its what the coach is NOT saying that may be the secret to a superb run of form. GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A dominating two-week road trip for the Chicago Blackhawks gave warning to the rest of the NHL: Its going to be difficult to dethrone the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Blackhawks seven-game, 13-day trip ended with a sixth straight victory Saturday night, as Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist in a dominant first period and Antti Raanta made 32 saves in a 5-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. "We loved the trip," said coach Joel Quenneville, whose team improved to an NHL-best 20-4-4. "We loved the consistency. We loved the contribution were getting across the board." After watching a 3-0 lead become 3-2 after a sloppy second period, Brandon Bolligs goal with 9:11 left put it away for Chicago. Andrew Shaw and Niklas Hjalmarsson also scored for the Blackhawks, and Marian Hossa added an empty-net goal. Rob Klinkhammer and Martin Hanzal scored for the Coyotes, whose fourth loss in five games left coach Dave Tippett fuming. "Thats the top team in the league and we come out and start like that?" Tippett said. "Thats just unacceptable." On their annual, lengthy trip while the United Center hosts the circus, Chicago played in Colorado, toured western Canada and stopped in Dallas on Friday night, where the Blackhawks prevailed in the 11th round of a shootout. After stopping 10 of 11 shots in the shootout less than 24 hours earlier, Quenneville gave Corey Crawford the night off. Raanta, who secured his first NHL victory Wednesday in Calgary, showed poise in his second start after the Coyotes got within a goal late in the second period. "It was much easier to play today than in Calgary," Raanta said. "It was a pretty good game and I felt really good," The Blackhawks showed no fatigue early, while getting some help from the bumbling Coyotes, who have made a habit of falling behind early. Phoenix was called for too many men on the ice after the first shift 49 seconds into the game, and 25 seconds later Derek Morris was sent to the box for holding. Chicago took advantage of the 5 on 3 against the leagues 27th-ranked penalty killing unit as Kane deflected Hossas shot from the point, beating goaltender Mike Smith high for Kanes 16th goal of the season. The Blackhawks went up 2-0 when Shaw picked up the puck in a scramble in front of the net and sent a soft, bounncing backhand that squirted past Smith by the left post at 9:18.dddddddddddd Less than two minutes later, Hjalmarssons took Kanes pass off the boards and beat Smith from the corner and Chicago had three goals on 12 shots. "Great start. It could have been our best period to start a period all year," Quenneville said. It marked the second time this week Phoenix, which has been outscored 28-16 in the first period this season, had fallen behind 3-0 in the opening 20 minutes. "I dont know what it is. We obviously arent ready for the first period," Hanzal said. "We have to start making sure we are ready because this is unacceptable." Phoenix got within 3-1 early in the second period when Michael Stone intentionally shot wide. The puck bounced off the boards directly to Klinkhammer, who poked it in the net by the near post for his fifth goal, while Stone got an assist. Chicagos parade to the penalty box allowed the Coyotes to make it a game. With Hjalmarsson serving four minutes for slashing and then complaining about it, Hanzal redirected Radim Vrbatas pass in front of the net to make it 3-2 with 4:04 left in the second. But Chicago later killed off a 5-on-3 power play. Smith stopped 31 shots in what Tippett called a "very average" performance in a sour ending to a record-breaking night off the ice for the Coyotes. Despite competition in the area from the Arizona-Arizona State football game and the Jazz-Suns game, the Coyotes announced they broke a franchise record for single-game revenue, in part because all luxury suites were sold and the team has cut down on ticket giveaways. The sellout crowd of 17,321 was a high point for the once-troubled franchise, which was under NHL control until a group led by George Gosbee took over this summer and committed to keep the team in Arizona. But the Coyotes fell to 0-2 against the Blackhawks. "The consistency is what were appreciating," Quenneville said. "The energy and enthusiasm in the locker room and on the bench is as good as weve seen it here." NOTES: Coyotes D Rusty Klesla, who was waived Tuesday, sent to the minors Wednesday and then recalled Friday so he could attend to a personal matter, was a healthy scratch. ... The Blackhawks host Dallas on Tuesday in their first home game since Nov. 17. ... The Coyotes begin a four-game road trip Tuesday at Edmonton. 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