Real Madrid 2-0 Ajax

After two unconvincing outings in La Liga, Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid finally stepped up a gear with a much improved performance to beat Ajax 2-0 in their opening Champions League Group G encounter.

Los Merengues peppered the visiting goal with 35 shots, 15 of which were on target, but needed two Gonzalo Higuain strikes to seal the three points.

It was no surprise to see Madrid push forward early on and dominate proceedings. A nice exchange of passes between Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Oezil teed up Sami Khedira for the first crack on goal, but the German’s shot from 20 yards was easily gathered by Martin Stekelenburg.

Gonzalo Higuain then rippled the net on 12 minutes when he brought down Xabi Alonso’s long ball expertly, but his stinging low drive only smacked the side netting.

To the other end, Miralem Sulejmani caused the first real panic at the Santiago Bernabeu when his powerful shot from angle just flashed wide. The home fans thought there was reason to celebrate on 17 minutes when Higuain easily glided past Eyong Enoh and Toby Alderweireld but his curling effort on the edge of the box cannoned off the crossbar.

Stekelenburg then had to fumble to pluck the ball off Ronaldo’s feet when the Portuguese went on a mazy run, before the Dutch international goalkeeper comfortably saved Angel Di Maria’s shot from distance.

The Argentine winger had another effort saved after a lovely one-two with Oezil, before Ronaldo went on another marauding charge towards goal which ended with a low shot just bending around the post after taking a deflection.

Madrid felt they should have been awarded a penalty on 27 minutes when Di Maria collected Oezil’s backheel pass and burst into the box before being taken down by Stekelenburg, but the referee wasn’t interested in the appeals.

Madrid’s persistence finally paid off right on the half-hour mark when Xabi Alonso’s corner was bundled over the line by Higuain. And it should’ve been 2-0 just three minutes later when Higuain miscued a squared pass from Marcelo right in front of goal. The loose ball trickled to Di Maria, who could only curl it over the bar.

Los Blancos maintained their momentum until the end of the half, with Di Maria testing Stekelenburg again with a blistering half volley.

The Spanish giants picked up where they left off in the second half and in a space of seven minutes, Ronaldo, Oezil, Di Maria and Higuain all had chances to bury the game and the critics. Stekelenburg made brilliant saves to deny the former three while ‘El Pipa’ blazed his volley over from five yards out.

Ajax had their best look-in to restore parity right on the hour mark with a freekick 20 yards out, but Alderweireld drills his effort under the wall but well wide.

Another free-flowing passing move between Oezil and Di Maria teed up a gorgeous chance for Ronaldo on the edge of the area, but the Portuguese dragged his tame shot wide.

But it was game over on 73 minutes when Higuain got his second of the night. Oezil’s initial shot was blocked by Stekelenburg, but the German playmaker floated the rebound into the middle for ‘El Pipa’ to cushion a volley into the open net.

The game suddenly came to live after that with a series of glorious chances in quick succession. Higuain came within inches of a hat-trick when he ran onto Ronaldo’s return pass but pulled his shot across goal wide. Ajax had their best chance of a consolation shortly after when Urby Emanuelson’s speculative chip from distance rattled the crossbar before Casillas blocked Sulejmani’s rebound with the most casual of one-handed parries.

Ronaldo then saw a low piledriver tipped around the post by Stekelenburg and he continued in desperation to score his first competitive goal of the season rattling in at least three further shots at goal, all of which flew wide. Two minutes from time, CR7 missed a sitter right infront of an open goal after being teed up nicely by a Higuain pull-back.

That was the last of the of the chances as Real Madrid please the Bernabeu faithful with a dominant 2-0 win.