Dynamo Kiev's goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy (R) celebrates with teammates Goran Popov and Andriy Shevchenko (L) after their team's aggregate win over Manchester City in Manchester Thursday. (AP) BERNE: Liverpool and Ajax Amsterdam, who have won the European Cup nine times between them, failed to reach the quarterfinals of the Europa League after making embarrassing exits from the competition Thursday. Liverpool was held to a goalless draw at home in its last-16 second leg by modest Portuguese side Braga, which has never even won a domestic league title, and went out 1-0 on aggregate. Ajax, knocked out of the Champions League earlier this season, was outclassed 3-0 in Russia by Spartak Moscow for a 4-0 aggregate defeat in Europe's second string competition. Manchester City beat Dynamo Kiev 1-0 despite having Mario Balotelli sent off in the first half but still lost 2-1 on aggregate while a 1-0 home defeat for Rangers against PSV Eindhoven ended British interest. Braga was one of three Portuguese sides to make the last eight, with Benfica and Porto also going through, while Twente Enschede and Villarreal completed the quarterfinal lineup. Porto, already 1-0 up against CSKA Moscow from the away leg, raced to a 2-0 lead with goals from Brazilian Hulk and Colombian Fredy Guarin before Zoran Tosic pulled one back before the half hour. But it held on comfortably for a 3-1 aggregate win. Benfica went through with a 1-1 draw at Paris St. Germain giving it a 3-2 aggregate win. Argentine Nicolas Gaitan put the Portuguese side ahead while Mathieu Bodmer volleyed the equalizer for the French team before halftime. Zenit looked capable of wiping out its 3-0 first leg deficit against Dutch champion as Roman Shirokov and Aleksandr Kerzhakov put it 2-0 by halftime. But the second half was a different story with the visitors playing far more aggressively. Villareal's 2-1 win at home to Bayer Leverkusen gave it a 5-3 aggregate victory ending German interest in the competition. Rangers started in the driving seat against PSV, thanks to a 0-0 draw last week in Netherlands. But Jeremain Lens poked Balasz Dzsudzsak's low cross past Neil Alexander in the 14th minute and the Scots never recovered. Chelsea, United paired In Switzerland, Chelsea will play English rival Manchester United and nine-time winner Real Madrid takes on Tottenham in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Favorite Barcelona will meet Shakhtar Donetsk, arguably the weakest team left in Europe's elite club competition, and defending champion Inter Milan was paired with Schalke in Friday's draw. PSV vs. Benfica Former European champions Benfica and PSV Eindhoven have been drawn together in the quarterfinals of the Europa League. FC Porto was paired with Spartak Moscow and Braga will face Dynamo Kiev, meaning Portugal's three qualifiers for the last eight of Europe's second-tier club competition were kept apart. In the other quarterfinal, Spanish side Villarreal will take on Dutch champion FC Twente, which eliminated 2008 winner Zenit St. Petersburg in the last 16. The first legs will be played on April 7, with the return matches on April 14.
