Real Madrid Ease Past BATE

Real Madrid 2-0 BATE Borisov

A goal in each half by Sergio Ramos and Ruud van Nistelrooy was enough to ensure Real Madrid open the 2008/09 Champions League campaign on a winning note.

Despite dominating the game from start to finish, playing some lovely passing football at times and creating countless chances infront of goal, Real Madrid spurned numerous opportunities to inflict a heavier defeat on their resilient opponents who had to play out the final half hour with only ten men.

Sergio Ramos and van Nistelrooy struck either side of the break to hand three points to the hosts but BATE goalie Sergei Veremko was undoubtedly the hero for the visitors as he single-handedly limited the damage.

First Half

As expected, it was Madrid who took the game to their visiting rookies, carving up three openings within the first two minutes.

Van Nistelrooy had the ball in the back of the next as early as the first when Raúl slipped in a lovely through pass but the Dutchman had just inched into an offside position to receive the pass.

Just a minute later, a fluent passing move finished with Gago releasing Robben down the left flank but his cutback into the box just evaded Guti. And seconds later, Van Nistelrooy was again put through on goal but, onside this time, he smacked his shot against the side netting.

On eight minutes, Robben did superbly to pick out Guti but the vice-captain clipped his shot wide with only the on-rushing BATE goalkeeper, Veremko to beat.

But in the tenth minute, a brilliantly worked short corner produced the opener for Los Blancos. Van der Vaart’s low delivery found Guti on the edge of box, who drilled in what seemed like a miscued shot but he cleverly picked out Sergio Ramos at the far post and the right back only needed to prod the ball home.

Casillas was forced into his first save after 14 minutes when he denied Kryvets’ close range header, while straight to the other end, van Nistelrooy unleashed a 30-yard piledriver which narrowly missed the mark by mere inches.

Chances continue to fall generously to Los Merengues and Robben was next to get a crack when Guti discharged him into the box but the flying Dutchman dragged the ball wide with a heavy touch when he tried to round Veremko as he eventually ran out of pitch at the byline.

BATE gradually crept into the contest and the game balanced out midway through the half. A 25^th minute set-piece for the Belarusians on the left flank almost caused the hosts a moment of déjà vu panic, but Kryvets wasted the opportunity when he overhit his delivery completely.

Madrid had to wait until the 40^th minute before they could see the BATE goal again when Guti teed himself up with a shot just outside the box but he smashed his effort just wide.

Robben had the last chance of the half deep into injury time when his glancing header from a van der Vaart freekick marginally shaved the bar.

Second Half

Bernd Schuster’s side again came out firing at the start of the second period, immediately going on the offensive down the left flank.

Sergio Ramos almost got his second of the night five minutes into the restart when he brought down Guti’s high ball inside the area and pummelled in a volley but Veremko managed to beat it away.

A minute after, Robben dazzled his way down the left wing, into the box and his cutback found van der Vaart but the Oranje playmaker’s tame sidefooted shot was blocked by a crowd of defenders, and even possibly teammate, Raúl.

But on 56 minutes, the captain helped make it two-nil when he latched onto Diarrà’s pass and let fly with a stinging left foot shot but Veremko was alert to fist it away, only for the ball to bounce off Rzhevski into goal and poacher extra-ordinaire van Nistelrooy was there, right on the goal line, to tap it in and ensure he is credited with the strike.

Any chance of a BATE comeback was effectively wiped-out for good when leftback Khagush was sent off on the hour mark for a second bookable offence, and van Nistelrooy narrowly made it three from the ensuing freekick but he blazed his volley over from three yards out.

Higuaín was next to miss a gilt-edged chance to put the icing on the cake 15 minutes from time when he ran onto Marcelo’s long ball but with only Veremko infront of him, he pulled his shot centimetres wide of the right post.

Four minutes from time, van der Vaart picked up Marcelo’s pass and swivelled elegantly to face the goal before unleashing a snapshot but his effort was parried away by the very busy Veremko.

Sergio Ramos and van der Vaart gave the BATE goalie one last test in injury time when the duo forced him into sharp saves with blistering shots on target.

Madrid failed to add on to their tally but will happily settle for the 2-0 scoreline, the three points and more importantly, a clean sheet.

LINE-UPS

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Casillas – Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Heinze, Marcelo – Gago (Diarrà 35’), Guti (Higuaín 67’), van der Vaart, Raúl, Robben (Drenthe 60’) – van Nistelrooy

Unused subs: Dudek, Torres, Saviola, Javi García,

BATE Borisov (4-2-3-1): Veremko – Khagush, Rzhevski, Sosnovski, Yurevich – Likhtarovich (Volodko 58’), Sivakov – Nekhaychik, Kryvets, Stasevich (Zhavnerchik 46’) – Mirchev (Kazantsev 64’)

Unused subs: Gutor, Skavysh, Pecha, Viskushenko,

REAL MADRID 2-0 BATE BORISOV

1-0: Real Madrid (Sergio Ramos 10’)

2-0: Real Madrid (van Nistelrooy 56’)

BOOKINGS

Real Madrid: Nil

BATE Borisov: Khagush (47’, 62’), Sivakov (78’)

RED CARDS

BATE Borisov: Khagush (62’)

MATCH STATS

Possession: Real Madrid 65% – BATE Borisov 35%

Shots (On Target): Real Madrid 27 (10) – BATE Borisov 7 (2)

Fouls Committed: Real Madrid 16 – BATE Borisov 20

KS Leong

Don't forget - Goal.com Champions League Manager 2008-2009 is STILL open for registration - it's not too late to join and win! Sign up now at http://fantasy.goal.com - it's absolutely free and there are great prizes to be won in the hottest managerial game of the new season!