Newcastle, AZ reach last eight

Newcastle United and AZ Alkmaar reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday but the progress of three Spanish sides remains in the balance after Villarreal's 0-0 draw at Steaua Bucharest.

Alan Shearer scored twice, taking his tally in the competition to 10 in seven matches, as Newcastle crushed Olympiakos Piraeus 4-0 at home in the second leg of their second knockout round tie for a 7-1 aggregate victory.

AZ won 2-1 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk for a 5-2 aggregate win over the Ukrainian team with goals from Barry van Galen, who struck a brilliant curling shot past keeper Jan Lastuvka from 16 metres, and Martijn Meerdink.

England winger Kieron Dyer, with a brilliant back-heel for the opening goal, and midfielder Lee Bowyer also scored for Newcastle.

The Premier League side's manager Graeme Souness was concerned his team might allow Olympiakos back into the tie if they did not stamp their authority on the game from the start.

"When you win 3-1 in the first leg away from home there's a feeling of job done," Souness told ITV Sport.

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"I wanted (Olympiakos) to know that we didn't think the tie was over with, and I asked (the players) for a big start and I got a big start.

"We got them on the back foot and I think we kept them there."

SPANISH TRIO

AZ remain unbeaten in European matches played at home and extended the run to 18 matches since their first appearance in 1978. They are also unbeaten at home in all competitions this season.

Newcastle and the Dutch side will be joined in Friday's quarter-final draw by the five winners of Thursday's second legs along with Villarreal and Steaua.

The first leg of that match was postponed because of a snow storm in Bucharest last week and they will play the second leg of their tie on Sunday.

Steaua's Italian coach Walter Zenga was frustrated at the outcome of Wednesday's game saying: "We deserved to win this match. We wasted a lot of chances. I can say now that Steaua will go to Spain to beat Villarreal."

Spain could have three teams in the last eight with Real Zaragoza level at 1-1 with visiting Austria Vienna and Sevilla also on equal terms after a 0-0 draw as they travel to Parma.

Portugal's Sporting are favourites to beat Middlesbrough after winning the first leg 3-2 in England, AJ Auxerre are 1-0 up on Lille going into the home leg of their all-French tie and CSKA Moscow host Partizan Belgrade with their tie level at 1-1.