Ronaldo fires Real past Milan
Source: Agencies |
October 21, 2010, Thursday
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CRISTIANO Ronaldo delivered the knockout blow for Real Madrid in an aristocratic battle with AC Milan on Tuesday, as Arsenal, Chelsea and Bayern Munich all maintained perfect starts to the Champions League.
While Arsenal provided a breathtaking display in a 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk, nine-times European champions Real had the individual brilliance of the world's most expensive player to thank for its 2-0 win at the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo poked a free-kick straight through the wall and set up Mesut Ozil to score a deflected second less than a minute later as Real saw off the seven-times winners with a devastating one-two combination.
"We needed to impose a strong rhythm from the start, playing with the concentration this type of game deserves, and we were able to do that," Ronaldo said.
Real and Milan make the record of Bayern Munich, the four-times winners, look relatively modest and there was a lot less style about its 3-2 home win over CFR Cluj in Group E, which saw them come from behind to take the lead with two own-goals before Mario Gomez gave them breathing space.
Arsenal rarely struggles for panache at its home stadium and they were altogether too much for Shakhtar in London.
Alex Song, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere and Marouane Chamakh picked off the goals, with former Arsenal player Eduardo da Silva getting a late consolation for the visitors and a heartwarming ovation for himself.
There was another goal-scoring return of a sort as Chelsea won 2-0 at Spartak Moscow in Group F.
Yuri Zhirkov, who spent five seasons with Spartak's bitter Moscow rivals CSKA, set Chelsea on its way with his first goal for the club before Nicolas Anelka doubled the lead.
Beneath the perfect quartet, Ajax Amsterdam maintained its hopes in Real Madrid's group by winning 2-1 at home to Auxerre, a result that took them level with Milan on four points.
Goals from Brazilian strikers Lima and Matheus gave Braga its first points with a 2-0 win over Partizan Belgrade that leaves the Serbs bottom of Group H.
Basel sprang a surprise in Group E by winning 3-1 away to AS Roma after two defeats, while Olympique Marseille kept its Group F hopes alive as they laboured to a 1-0 home win against Zilina of Slovakia.
The only question mark over Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid early in the season was a struggle to turn dominance into goals but that problem is now well behind them.
The Spanish league leaders followed up a 4-1 win over Malaga at the weekend with another performance of energy and guile, capped by goals in the 13th and 14th minutes.
While Real has scored five goals in its three wins in Europe, Arsenal has knocked in a whopping 14 and they were irresistible in taking Shakhtar apart on Tuesday.
"We were sharp and played technically at a good level," said manager Arsene Wenger, whose side has Manchester United's group stage record 20 goals in sight. "I think our goals were down to them becoming fatigued from running after the ball."
Chelsea, which like Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are dreaming of a place in a "home" final in London's Wembley Stadium, were efficient rather than brilliant at the Luzhniki Stadium, scene of a painful defeat to Manchester United in the 2008 final.
"I don't think the players talked about the last defeat at this stadium," coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "It was not an easy game for us. We scored two great goals."
While Arsenal provided a breathtaking display in a 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk, nine-times European champions Real had the individual brilliance of the world's most expensive player to thank for its 2-0 win at the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo poked a free-kick straight through the wall and set up Mesut Ozil to score a deflected second less than a minute later as Real saw off the seven-times winners with a devastating one-two combination.
"We needed to impose a strong rhythm from the start, playing with the concentration this type of game deserves, and we were able to do that," Ronaldo said.
Real and Milan make the record of Bayern Munich, the four-times winners, look relatively modest and there was a lot less style about its 3-2 home win over CFR Cluj in Group E, which saw them come from behind to take the lead with two own-goals before Mario Gomez gave them breathing space.
Arsenal rarely struggles for panache at its home stadium and they were altogether too much for Shakhtar in London.
Alex Song, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere and Marouane Chamakh picked off the goals, with former Arsenal player Eduardo da Silva getting a late consolation for the visitors and a heartwarming ovation for himself.
There was another goal-scoring return of a sort as Chelsea won 2-0 at Spartak Moscow in Group F.
Yuri Zhirkov, who spent five seasons with Spartak's bitter Moscow rivals CSKA, set Chelsea on its way with his first goal for the club before Nicolas Anelka doubled the lead.
Beneath the perfect quartet, Ajax Amsterdam maintained its hopes in Real Madrid's group by winning 2-1 at home to Auxerre, a result that took them level with Milan on four points.
Goals from Brazilian strikers Lima and Matheus gave Braga its first points with a 2-0 win over Partizan Belgrade that leaves the Serbs bottom of Group H.
Basel sprang a surprise in Group E by winning 3-1 away to AS Roma after two defeats, while Olympique Marseille kept its Group F hopes alive as they laboured to a 1-0 home win against Zilina of Slovakia.
The only question mark over Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid early in the season was a struggle to turn dominance into goals but that problem is now well behind them.
The Spanish league leaders followed up a 4-1 win over Malaga at the weekend with another performance of energy and guile, capped by goals in the 13th and 14th minutes.
While Real has scored five goals in its three wins in Europe, Arsenal has knocked in a whopping 14 and they were irresistible in taking Shakhtar apart on Tuesday.
"We were sharp and played technically at a good level," said manager Arsene Wenger, whose side has Manchester United's group stage record 20 goals in sight. "I think our goals were down to them becoming fatigued from running after the ball."
Chelsea, which like Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are dreaming of a place in a "home" final in London's Wembley Stadium, were efficient rather than brilliant at the Luzhniki Stadium, scene of a painful defeat to Manchester United in the 2008 final.
"I don't think the players talked about the last defeat at this stadium," coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "It was not an easy game for us. We scored two great goals."
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