Real coach confident of making last eight

The coach of Real Madrid, Vicente del Bosque, insisted his side would still qualify for the Champions' League quarter-finals despite losing their opening second-phase match in Group C to a resurgent Milan team on Tuesday.

The Italian teams have made a bigger impact this season in Europe than in recent years and Milan's 1-0 success at San Siro was another indication that the Serie A élite are ready to seriously challenge their Spanish, English and German counterparts again.

"The match was open and vibrant with good play from both sides," Del Bosque said. "Milan were more accurate in front of goal. We started badly and are bitter at the defeat, but I believe we can still get to the quarters. We must get off the winning mark in our next home game."

The game's goal came from Andrei Shevchenko, the Ukrainian whom Milan have promised still has a future with them. Ironically, he had been linked with a move to Real and has spent much of the season either injured or behind Filippo Inzaghi and Rivaldo in the plans of the coach Carlo Ancelotti.

"I was a little angry about all the rumours about my future and I needed a goal," Shevchenko said. "I have been waiting a long time for this game and I must thank the boss for giving me the chance to play.

"I must also thank my team-mates who have helped me and the fans who been with me all along. This was a merited victory against a great team."

Also in Group C, the Lokomotiv Moscow coach Yuri Semin admitted his team had came unstuck against Borussia Dortmund because of the way they chased the game.

The newly-crowned Russian champions, who ended Spartak Moscow's run of six successive league titles, watched his team lose 2-1 after taking the lead, with all the goals in the first half.

"We showed more emotion than intellect in our second-half performance," said Semin. "It was an intensive game of equal rivals. Despite creating many good chances, we could not use them."