THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADRID, Spain -- Real Madrid was eliminated from the Champions League in the first knockout round for the sixth year in a row Wednesday after drawing 1-1 against Lyon, sending the French club through 2-1 on aggregate.

With a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, Madrid looked determined to score from the start at its Santiago Bernabeu stadium, and Cristiano Ronaldo gave the hosts the lead in the sixth minute. The Portugal winger received a through ball from Jose Maria (Guti) Gutierrez and shot low from the corner of the penalty area past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

But Miralem Pjalic equalized in the 75th from Lisandro's assist, leave Madrid needing two more goals to advance, which it never looked likely to get.

Nine-time champion Madrid has not reached the quarter-finals since 2004 and with the final to be played in the Bernabeu this year, the club was desperate to feature.

"We didn't score enough goals in the first half to be able to play calmly in the second half," Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini said. "We didn't try to get the second goal collectively, we were making too many individual plays."

Lyon, meanwhile, advanced to the quarters for the first time in four years and has won four of its five away games in Europe this season.

"It was a nice night out," Lyon coach Claude Puel said. "In the first half Real Madrid posed plenty of problems for us. ... In the second half we deserved to qualify."

With Lassana Diarra playing the holding role behind Kaka, Guti and Esteban Granero in midfield, Madrid controlled the early part of the game. Kaka's shot in the first minute was saved by Lloris after the Brazil midfielder exchanged passes with Granero.

Ronaldo combined repeatedly with Kaka, and found space in the eighth although his pass for the Brazilian ran out of play.

Kaka escaped his marker again in the 10th and shot straight to Lloris.

Ronaldo headed over in 11th from a corner before sending a Guti pass on to Gonzalo Higuain, who blasted wide.

After Madrid's early pressure, Lyon started to look dangerous as the half wore on. In the 18th, Ramos had to tackle Aly Cissokho as he was charging into the area before Jeremy Toulalan shot wide of the right-hand post following a corner. Iker Casillas then had to run out to clear the ball as Lisandro charged toward him.

Madrid's frustration at failing to convert its early superiority was shown by Granero, who was booked for a foul on Cesar Delgado.

Higuain should have doubled the lead in the 25th when Kaka sent him clear down the right. The Argentina striker rounded the goalkeeper but his shot at an empty net struck the near post. Higuain had another chance in the 40th when he headed the ball across the goalmouth past the far post from a Granero cross.

Concerned by Madrid's dominance in the first half, Lyon coach Claude Puel replaced Jean-Alain Boumsong and Jean II Makoun with Kim Kallstrom and Maxime Gonalons at halftime.

The changes nearly paid off immediately as Gonalons headed over the bar from a Cesar Delgado cross before Pjalic's equalizer.

Madrid spent US$340 million on players last off-season as it overhauled its squad with a view to winning a 10th European title. Despite his disappointment at the elimination, Pellegrini said he had not considered resigning and that there was still plenty to play for.

"We're still top of the league," he said. "This Real Madrid project isn't just about one year, it's much longer-term than that."