Champions League
December 8, 2009
Marseille
1 - 3
Real Madrid
Group C
19:45 GMT, December 8, 2009
Stade Vélodrome, France
Referee: Wolfgang Stark
Red-hot Ronaldo sinks Marseille
Scoring Summary
| Marseille | Real Madrid |
|---|---|
| Lucho González (11') | Cristiano Ronaldo (4') |
| Lucho González (pen miss 69') | Raúl Albiol (60') |
| Cristiano Ronaldo (80') |
Teams
| Marseille | Real Madrid |
|---|---|
| 30 Steve Mandanda | 1 Iker Casillas |
| 19 Gabriel Heinze | 18 Raúl Albiol |
| 21 Souleymane Diawara | 3 Pepe |
| 6 Edouard Cisse | 2 Álvaro Arbeloa |
| 3 Taye Taiwo | 4 Sergio Ramos |
| 24 Laurent Bonnart | 22 Xabi Alonso |
| 8 Lucho González | 10 Lassana Diarra |
| 7 Benoit Cheyrou | 20 Gonzalo Higuaín |
| 18 Fabrice Abriel | 23 Rafael Van der Vaart |
| 11 Mamadou Niang | 12 Marcelo |
| 9 Brandao | 9 Cristiano Ronaldo |
| Substitutes | |
| 23 Fernando Sanchez Morientes | Jerzy Dudek 13 |
| 17 Stéphane M'Bia | Mahamadou Diarra 6 |
| 5 Vitorino Hilton | Raúl 7 |
| 14 Bakari Koné | Karim Benzema 11 |
| 28 Mathieu Valbuena | Fernando Gago 5 |
| 40 Elinton Andrade | Ezequiel Garay 19 |
| 12 Charles Kaboré | Esteban Granero 24 |
| Substitutions | |
| Bakari Koné for Edouard Cisse (63) | Karim Benzema for Gonzalo Higuaín (63) |
| Mathieu Valbuena for Mamadou Niang (68) | Raúl for Rafael Van der Vaart (72) |
| Fernando Sanchez Morientes for Brandao (78) | Mahamadou Diarra for Xabi Alonso (78) |
| Yellow Cards | |
| Brandao (9) | Gonzalo Higuaín (29) |
| Gabriel Heinze (63) | Xabi Alonso (38) |
| Iker Casillas (66) | |
| · Squads: Marseille | Real Madrid | |
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his fifth and sixth Champions League goals for Real Madrid as he inspired the Spanish side to a victory that confirmed them as Group C winners.
Events elsewhere meant Madrid were never likely to miss out on the last 16 of the competition but a Ronaldo brace ensured they would enter the knockout phase in style.
He scored either side of Raul Albiol's 60th-minute effort for the visitors, with Lucho Gonzalez scoring for Marseille but later missing a penalty that would have made it 2-2.
The game got off to the perfect start for Real as, with the first serious attack of the match, Rafael Van der Vaart drew a foul from Edouard Cisse.
Ronaldo took the free-kick 35 yards from goal on the left flank and somehow managed to send the ball beyond the diving Steve Mandanda in the Marseille goal.
The French side responded to the setback brightly, but Evanilson Brandao strayed offside from a quick counter-attack.
It was not long before the scores were level.
With 11 minutes gone Brandao saw his close-range header blocked well by Albiol but Real never fully cleared their lines and within seconds the ball broke to Gonzalez to stab home from 12 yards.
Ronaldo attempted to get his side going in the final third but Lassana Diarra and Gonzalo Higuain were also busy as they attempted to smother the Marseille threat.
Brandao was also working hard for his team, twice heading away Van der Vaart corners and earning an early booking for an overly exuberant challenge on Albiol.
Xabi Alonso and Higuain joined him in the book as the heavy tackles began to pour in.
Indeed, such was the lack of inspiration in attack it was not until first-half injury time that either side fashioned another chance.
Madrid's Marcelo was the recipient, but his right-footed effort from the edge of the penalty failed to draw a save from Mandanda.
Ronaldo attempted to work his set-piece magic a second time seconds before the interval after Mamadou Niang felled Sergio Ramos, but this time Mandanda was able to punch the ball clear.
The goalkeeper was also in action eight minutes into the second half, getting down well to beat clear Van der Vaart's curled attempt from 25 yards.
By now Manuel Pellegrini's side were starting to up the tempo and Marcelo was next to try his luck, forcing another good save as he lashed high at the centre of Mandanda's goal from inside the box.
Mandanda's resistance was not to last long though and by the hour mark Albiol has put the away team ahead with a neat finish from the edge of the area.
Both sides made changes soon after, with the Spanish side able to call on Karim Benzema and Marseille replacing Cisse with Bakari Kone.
The Ivorian was involved five minutes later as he was hauled down by Iker Casillas, handing Gonzalez the chance to equalise from the penalty spot.
His blasted penalty cannoned back off the crossbar while Casillas was lucky to escape with a caution.
Ronaldo settled the matter with his second 10 minutes from time, coolly finding net from 18 yards.