Perfect Real in box seat after Milan revenge

Cristiano Ronaldo made it five goals in his last three matches as Spanish league leaders Real Madrid defeated AC Milan 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday to maintain their 100 percent record in Europe and take command of Champions League Group G.

It was an epic tussle between the two most successful European teams with 16 European Cups between them and nine-time winners Real came out on top with two goals in as many minutes helping Real make it a perfect three group G wins and Jose Mourinho’s Real are now five points ahead of Milan and Ajax.

Ronaldo fired a 13th minute free-kick through a hopeless Milan wall for his first Champions League goal of the season and a minute later German international Mesut Ozil saw his deflected shot go in.

It was sweet revenge for Real who lost 3-2 to Milan at home in last season’s group stage and Mourinho’s Real have yet to concede in this season’s competition and are unbeaten in all competitions.

Real captain Iker Casillas set a Champions League appearance record for a goalkeeper playing his 104th game in the competition to overtake former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn and at 29 the Spanish World Cup winner still has many more years in front of him.

In stark contrast Milan had debutant Marco Amelio in their goal with the 28-year-old, on loan from Genoa, making his bow due to an injury to first choice Christian Abbiati.

Madrid had to do without Sergio Ramos who failed to recover from a knee injury so Alvaro Arbeloa began at right back with the task of keeping Alexandre Pato in check.

The Italians played with an adventurous 4-3-3 with three defensive-minded midfielders while hosts Real started with the complicated 4-2-1-2-1 system favoured by Mourinho with playmaker Ozil feeding wingers Ronaldo and Angel di Maria who supported lone striker Gonzalo Higuain.

Spanish league leaders Real had scored ten goals in their last two league matches and scored two goals in as many minutes to continue their rich vein of form.

After the disturbance of a pitch invader the match got underway and on 13 minutes Xabi Alonso was man-handled outside the area to give Real a dangerous free-kick.

Ronaldo has been wasteful with free-kicks this season but found his range shooting straight through a terrible Milan wall that collapsed to give Amelio no chance.

A minute later Madrid struck again with Ronaldo feeding Ozil whose shot on goal looked to be heading into the goalkeeper’s arms before taking a wicked deflection off defender Daniele Bonera to loop in.

Milan were up against it but upped their game and Andrea Pirlo hit the crossbar on 26 minutes before Clarence Seedorf, who won the 1998 Champions League as a Madrid player, hit a swerving shot over the crossbar when well-placed.

After the break a flicked effort from di Maria almost made it 3-0 for Real who were not content to sit on their lead.

Milan introduced Brazilian winger Robinho for the ineffective Ronaldinho in the 72nd minute and the home fans jeered the former Real player who spent three seasons at the club before falling out with then coach Bernd Schuster and engineering a 42-million-euro move to Manchester City.

Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed a half chance for Milan before Robinho forced a fine diving save from Casillas as Real kept another clean sheet and have conceded a meagre three goals in ten games under Mourinho.