Mourinho's Madrid into Semi-final

Real Madrid coasted past APOEL Nicosia 5-2 on the night to set-up a Champions League semi-final clash with Bayern Munich.

Already leading 3-0 from the first-leg the hosts started brightly but had to wait until the 25th minute to open the scoring as Cristiano Ronaldo tapped home Marcelo's cross at the back post.

Kaka doubled Real's lead with a stunning effort from outside the area nine minutes before half-time, but the goal of the night was arguably scored by Gustavo Manduca as he pulled one back for the visitors after a flowing team move midway through the second half.

Ronaldo soon restored the hosts' two-goal advantage and substitutes Jose Maria Callejon and Angel Di Maria added further goals either side of Esteban Solari's 82nd-minute penalty for the visitors.

Jose Mourinho took the chance to rest some of his established stars as Xabi Alonso, Mesut Ozil and Karim Benzema started on the bench, but the Portuguese coach still named a strong side that had far too much for their Cypriot opponents from the off.

APOEL manager Ivan Jovanovic had claimed before the game that his side "never play with fear'' but they certainly appeared nervous early on as two defensive errors nearly handed Madrid the opener within the first four minutes.

Firstly, Gonzalo Higuain could only head William Boaventura's misguided clearance wide before Savvas Poursaitides presented Ronaldo with a great chance but the Portuguese fired straight at Urko Pardo.

Ronaldo did eventually get his 48th goal of the season when he bundled the ball home after Higuain had failed to get a telling touch on Marcelo's cross.

Hamit Altintop fluffed his lines after being played in by Higuain and Kaka saw another effort fly just over - but the Brazilian had been the pick of those on show in the first 45 and he deservedly scored the second goal with a brilliant curling effort which bent just inside Pardo's left-hand post.

The former Milan playmaker nearly replicated that effort from Ronaldo's clever pass five minutes before the break but this time saw the ball clip the outside of the post.

To APOEL's credit they took advantage of the hosts sloppiness at the beginning of the second half and gave their travelling hordes of fans a moment to treasure with 23 minutes remaining as a wonderful team move ended with Ailton slipping the ball through to Manduca, who slotted calmly past Iker Casillas to record his fourth Champions League goal of the season.

Constantinos Charalambides was denied a spectacular equaliser moments later as Casillas produced a fingertip save to divert his drive behind for a corner but Ronaldo soon put an end to any hopes of a heroic comeback as having gone all season without scoring from a free-kick he made it two in two games with a stunning effort from wide on the left.

Callejon then added a fourth as he cut in from the left to finish low beyond Pardo, but the Cypriots responded again and got their second goal when Solari netted from the spot after Aldo Adorno had been upended by Altintop.

However, Di Maria had the final say when he rounded off a fine night for the nine-times winners as he lofted a wonderful chip over Pardo.

Real Won't Take Nicosia for Granted

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has pledged to "show respect" to Apoel Nicosia in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Real are in pole position to reach the last four after a comfortable 3-0 win in Cyprus in last week's first leg.

Mourinho said: "Few believe Apoel will score four goals here but in football you must show respect and to the fans as well.

"I won't make many changes. It is a Champions League game."

Madrid, who remain on track to win La Liga, have won nine European Cups, but last tasted victory 10 years ago in a Zinedine Zidane-inspired final at Hampden.

Mourinho won his second Champions League two years ago with Inter,and expects his current side to keep up their progress against the Cypriots.

"We have a good record in the Champions League over the last two years with many victories, the odd draw, and only one defeat, and we want to continue doing well," he said.

"The players aren't tired, they want to play."

The former Chelsea boss also hit out at the media, saying his side's morale was strong despite what he described as attempts to undermine their campaign with rumours.

"Every day you try to destabilise us," said Mourinho.

"Last week I was supposedly going to Manchester City, (goalkeeper) Iker Casillas was going to Schalke 04, (winger) Angel Di María to somewhere else, Kyle Walker (of Tottenham Hotspur) and (Liverpool's) Glen Johnson were on their way here.

"But the group is strong and we will stick together until the end when we will all laugh or cry together."

Apoel's remarkable cup run looks set to come to an end after they were thoroughly beaten in the first leg, but club president Phivos Erotokritou has promised that his side will put up a fight.

"We're not going to Madrid for a holiday," he said.

"The players will try their best to achieve the best possible result. No-one believed it that we would reach the quarter-finals but we got this far justly, no-one handed it to us.

"We earned it."

Benzema Brace Breaks Apoel

Real Madrid scored three goals in the last 16 minutes against Cypriot champions Apoel Nicosia, and Jose Mourinho’s side appear to have one foot in the Champions League semi-final. The Portuguese, who won Europe’s top club trophy in 2010 with Inter Milan, has never before lost a tie in the quarter-finals, and after two goals from Karim Benzema and one from substitute Kaka it seems his passage to the last four will not be impeded.

At the Pancyprian Gymnastic Association Stadium in the Cypriot capital, the home side, who became the first club in their country to reach the knockout stages of the competition this year, proved stubborn opponents for the free-scoring Spanish league leaders. The nine-times European champions, captained by goalkeeper Iker Casillas who was making his 125th appearance in Europe, dominated the match but Apoel, defended solidly to frustrate Madrid.

Benzema missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring late in the first half, in which the visitors enjoyed 70 per cent of the possession. The French striker inexplicably directed the ball over the bar from close range with the goal gaping.

The arrival of Brazilian Kaka as a replacement for forward Gonzalo Higuain midway through the second half created the breakthrough. He produced a superb cross from the left for Benzema to head powerfully home after 74 minutes.

Kaka then scored the second goal from eight metres following a surging run down the left by his fellow substitute and countryman Marcelo, who managed to cut the ball back as he was falling over.

Benzema struck again shortly before the final whistle and tapped home a delightful pass from German playmaker Mesut Ozil to put the La Liga table-toppers firmly on course for a semi-final berth.

Mourinho’s team will host Apoel at the Santiago Bernabeu a week today, and the winners of will play either Marseille or Bayern Munich in the semi-finals. Madrid continue their impressive run – in the last 39 matches they have notched up 33 victories, and scored in every single game.

Apoel Nicosia (4-4-2): Chiotis; Jorge, Oliveira (Kaka 13), Poursaitides, Boaventura; Charalambides, Pinto (Solari 72), Morais, Alexandrou (Sousa 46); Ailton, Trickovski. Goals: Benzema 74, 90, Kaka 82

Real Madrid (4-3-3): Casillas; Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao (Marcelo 64), Arbeloa; Sahin (Granero84), Khedira, Ozil; Ronaldo, Benzema, Higuain (Kaka 64).

Referee: F Brych (Germany). Att: 22,000

Jose Wants No Cyprus Surprise

Jose Mourinho will not be under-estimating Champions League upstarts APOEL Nicosia as Real Madrid prepare for their quarter-final first leg in Cyprus.

The Cypriot champions have been the surprise package of the competition, winning five of their seven home games on the way to becoming the first team from their country to reach the last 16 of Europe's premier club competition.

'They eliminated top-class teams. We have studied them a lot,' Mourinho told a news conference at the GSP stadium.

'We are the favourites, but football is football. I am sure that we are not going to have teams certain for the last four from the first leg,' he said. 

'Of course, having the second leg at home makes things more easy for us,' added the Portuguese, who has led the nine-time European champions to a six-point lead at the top of La Liga.

APOEL's success has been based on a dogged defence and they will be roared on by their passionate fans.    

'It is a very difficult match and we must give a top performance against one of the best teams in the world,' said APOEL coach Ivan Jovanovic. 

'I achieved almost everything in the last four years with APOEL, but I still have a dream. To eliminate Real,' said Jovanovic whose side knocked out Olympique Lyon on penalties to reach the last eight.

Asked about that comment, Mourinho replied: 'Coaches are allowed to dream when their players allow them to, and since they are at this stage of the competition they are allowed to dream.

'APOEL is a very balanced team. For many, this may mean nothing, but for me it means a lot and I hope my players realise this too,' Mourinho said.