Associated Press

Milan, March 16:

Adriano scored three goals and Inter Milan beat Porto 3-1 to eliminate the defending champion and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

The second-leg victory at San Siro sent the Italian side to the last eight with a 4-2 aggregate victory. The Brazilian striker gave Inter the lead in the sixth minute when he beat Jorge Costa and fired a low shot that was deflected by Pedro Emanuel past goalkeeper Vitor Baia.

Adriano doubled the lead in the 63rd when he beat Porto’s offside trap and scored with a curling left-footed shot. As Inter appeared in control, captain Jorge Costa scored from one metre off a corner kick, reviving Porto’s hopes in the 69th. As Porto pressed for the equaliser, Adriano struck in the 87th, rushing into the area on a counter-attack, beating a defender and scoring with a precise left-footed diagonal shot.

Adriano played the full 90 minutes while fellow striker Christian Vieri nursed a knee injury. Adriano climbed atop Champions League scoring lead with 10 goals, including those scored in the preliminary round of the European competition. Adriano also has 15 goals in Italian league matches. While scoring three, Inter also squandered many scoring chances. In the 62nd Juan Sebastian Veron broke into the area but missed an easy feed to an umarked Adriano.

Dejan Stankovic shot wide from in the 71st and, in injury time, Pedro Emanuel cleared a shot after Javier Zanetti had beaten Vitor Baia. Inter became the third Italian team to reach the quarters, joining AC Milan and Juventus and completing the round of eight with Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern, PSV Eindhoven and Lyon. Inter-Porto was played one week after the regular round because the stadium hosted the second-leg between AC Milan and Manchester United last Tuesday.

English Premiership

LONDON: Didier Drogba’s goal in the 26th minute gave Chelsea a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday, moving the Blues 11 points ahead atop the English Premier League.

Drogba’s goal off a low cross from Damien Duff was his 13th of the season, but he had chances for at least four more in a match Chelsea dominated at Stamford Bridge.

The victory gave Chelsea 74 points with nine matches to play. The three closest teams also have nine games to play with Manchester United next with 63, followed by Arsenal (61) and Everton (51). The four teams at the bottom also have nine games to play. Norwich is in last place with 20. West Brom has 21, Southampton has 24 and Crystal Place has 26.