Champions League - SS Lazio 2 Real Madrid 2

Real Madrid sealed their progress into the quarter finals of the Champions League and knocked out Italian champions SS Lazio in the process on a thrilling night in Rome.

These two should play every week after another great game.

Following a sensational 3-2 win thanks to a last minute penalty by Luis Figo last week, these clubs served up another feast of attacking play that was a credit to their coaches.

To be fair Lazio leader Dino Zoff had little choice.

The Italian champions had to win to keep a slim chance alive of making the last eight of the Champions League. Real were looking for their fourth win but are all but certain of getting to the quarter finals.

The game was set up for thrills by a goal from Lazio in the 4th minute. Czech star Pavel Nedved produced an angled drive that was deflected and then hit the body of second choice goalkeeper Cesar before finding the net.

In a half of eleven good chances for the home team and seven for the Spanish greats, the next decisive piece of action was bitterly disputed by the home team.

Claude Makalele set up a 32nd minute equaliser for young Solari in his first European match but Lazio protested that Real were offside as one of their players tracked back to the play on the far side of the pitch but was ruled not to be interfering with play.

Solari slotted the ball into the net with a calm finish.

The second half kept up the quality and now Milan are the only Italian team who can reach the last eight of the Champions league.

It looked to be a different story when Hernan Crespo took advantage of a goal mouth scramble to fire the home team in front with a scrappy goal but then Raul took over the penalty area action for Real.

He missed an easy chance from close range before reaching a Pedro Munitis cross with a back header that found the net and showed great awareness and improvisation for the Spain star.

Lazio knew their European hopes were close to dying and surged forward to pin Real back in defence.

The closest they came to salvation was a heart-stopping header from Fernando Couto that hit the crossbar from a corner in the 94th minute.