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September 18, 2014

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Reds survive as Real starts Euro defense in style

REAL Madrid started the defense of its Champions League crown with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Basel on Tuesday, while Liverpool celebrated its return to Europe’s top club competition with a dramatic 2-1 win against Bulgarian side Ludogorets.

Real’s win should end talk of crisis following a poor start to the club’s domestic season.

Goals by Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez, Karim Benzema and a Basel own-goal secured the 10-time champion a very comfortable victory in Group B.

Five years after its last involvement in the Champions League, Liverpool needed a penalty from Steven Gerrard in the third minute of added time ­— just two minutes after Ludogorets looked to have snatched a draw — to earn all three points.

Elsewhere, last season’s finalist Atletico Madrid lost 2-3 at Olympiakos.

Real’s win was much easier as Carlo Ancelotti’s players silenced their critics with a beautiful display of free-flowing football, turning the page on a poor run of form.

Real lost to Atletico in the Spanish Super Cup last month before Ancelotti’s side collapsed 2-4 at Real Sociedad in the league and followed up with a 1-2 loss to Atletico at home on Saturday.

“I liked the team’s reaction, I think the Bernabeu was happy,” Ancelotti said.

Real opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Jose Fernandez’s shot was deflected in by Basel’s Marek Suchy.

Bale then received a clever ball from Luka Modric to double his team’s lead and provided Ronaldo with a pass which the Portugal forward — the competition’s top scorer last season with 17 goals — converted a minute later.

Rodriguez added the fourth in the 37th before Derlis Gonzalez pulled one back for Basel in the 38th. Benzema made it five in the 79th.

Mario Balotelli got his first goal for Liverpool in the 82nd before Ludogorets, a side which had not won a game in UEFA competition before last season, equalized through Dani Abalo.

Awarded a penalty

Liverpool was then awarded a penalty when goalkeeper Milan Borjan brought down Javier Manquillo and Gerrard slotted home from the spot.

In Group A, former Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez ended his European goal drought as he scored twice in a 2-0 win over Sweden’s Malmo, for his first goal in the competition since April 2009.

The group’s other game provided a shock in Athens, where Olympiakos defeated Atletico after Arthur Masuaku and Ibrahim Afellay scored early goals. Mario Mandzukic pulled one back before Kostas Mitroglou extended the host’s lead. Antoine Griezmann’s late strike for Atletico did not prevent Olympiakos from earning the three points.

Monaco won 1-0 against Bayer Leverkusen in Group C courtesy of a Joao Moutinho goal, while Benfica’s 51-match unbeaten home record in all competition came to an end with a 0-2 loss to Zenit St Petersburg. Benfica had goalkeeper Artur sent off in the 18th for obstructing Danny.




 

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