LONDON (AP):
INTER MILAN and AC Milan came away from the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals with positive results yesterday.
Inter rallied from a one-goal deficit to beat visiting Villarreal 2-1 and AC Milan held hosts Lyon to a 0-0 draw. The second leg matches are scheduled for next Tuesday.
Obafemi Martins and Adriano scored a goal each for Inter, who last won the European Cup in 1965.
Martins scored the winning goal in the 54th minute after Dejan Stankovic controlled the ball nicely and sent a cross into the middle of the area that the Nigerian kicked into the net despite being off balance.
Adriano scored Inter's first goal in the seventh minute, and Stankovic again made the final pass. The Serbia-Montenegro international, filling in for Luis Figo on the right wing, sent a ball in front of the net that Villarreal defender Juan Manuel Pena failed to clear.
In the first minute, Jose Mari Romero's shot was saved by Inter goalkeeper Francesco Toldo, but the rebound went to Diego Forlan, who scored the opening goal and gave the visitors an early lead.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini had indicated he might not start Adriano due to the forward's poor form - he entered with only three goals this year in all competitions, including one penalty. He had scored 10 between August and December.
He did start, though, and was a force throughout the first half, barely missing headers in the 18th and 42nd and free kicks in the 35th and 45th.
The away goal, however, would be enough for Villarreal to advance to the semi-finals if they beat Inter 1-0 in the second leg.
Milan and Lyon had several chances to score at Stade Gerland - Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko wasted three scoring chances and Lyon goalkeeper Gregory Coupet made several key saves.
Lyon attacked strongly in the second half, but were thwarted by a Milan defence led by Alessandro Nesta and Kakha Kaladze.
