Special win: Inter eliminates Chelsea

Soccer Betting Lines

03/16/2010 - London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Samuel Eto'o scored late in the second half and Inter Milan beat Chelsea 1-0 on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge to seal its 3-1 aggregate win and a spot in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho, who is nicknamed "The Special One," coached Chelsea from 2004-07. Inter had lost in the Round of 16 the last three seasons, but is back in the final eight for the first time since 2005-06.

Chelsea last failed to reach the last eight that same year and had advanced to the semifinals each of the last three seasons. The Blues were second in 2008.

CSKA Moscow defeated Sevilla 2-1 at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan to claim its series on aggregate, 3-2, to join Inter in the quarterfinals. Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Lyon, and Manchester United advanced last week.

Barcelona hosts Stuttgart on Wednesday with the series tied 1-1, and Bordeaux hosts Olympiacos with a 1-0 edge in their series to decide the last two teams.

Chelsea created the first scoring chance in the 11th minute when Frank Lampard dropped a pass off to Michael Ballack and the German drove a 30-yard shot just wide of the left post.

Inter had its only good scoring chance of the first in the 33rd after Chelsea captain John Terry misjudged a cross and it sailed over his head to Eto'o, who wasted an opener header with a shot straight into the ground.

Chelsea created its best chance two minutes before half when Didier Drogba set up Nicolas Anelka in the area. Anelka tried to tap the ball past Julio Cesar, but the Inter goalie got a piece of the ball and Thiago Motta cleared.

Although Chelsea needed a goal to win the series, Inter was far more dangerous through the first 25 minutes of the second half and could have easily put the series away on three occasions.

Wesley Sneijder found a streaking Goran Pandev in the 59th minute, but he took too long to test Chelsea goalkeeper Ryan Turnbull, and Yuri Zhirkov closed to deflect the shot wide.

Just six minutes later, Terry turned the ball over and Sneijder lofted a pass to Diego Milito, who fired wide of the right post with only Turnbull to beat.

Sneijder set up another chance in the 70th, but his perfect free kick to the back post to Motta was headed over from close range.

Eto'o finally rewarded Sneijder for his play-making in the 78th and sealed the series at the same time. Sneijder chipped a pass to Eto'o to spring him for a one-on-one chance with Turnbull - who started for injured Petr Cech - and he settled well and then poked a shot past Turnbull to the near post.

Drobga was sent off in the 86th for stomping on Motta after a collision in the area, and Chelsea did nothing over the closing minutes.

Mourinho celebrated the goal from Eto'o, but he left the bench and was down in the tunnel before the final whistle blew.

In Spain, Tomas Necid and Keisuke Honda scored as CSKA Moscow shocked Sevilla. Necid scored the opener in the 39th but Valencia's Diego Perotti answered just two minutes later to level the series at 2-2.

Honda sent CSKA through when his 35-yard free kick deflected off the hands of Sevilla goalie Andres Palop and into the upper right in the 55th. Honda had a lot on the shot but Palop was in good position and should have easily made the save.

Sevilla needed two goals in the final 35 minutes, but couldn't respond and was eliminated in the Round of 16 for the second time in the last three years.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

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Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

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