DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) – Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in his 150th European club match to give Real Madrid a 3-1 victory at Borussia Dortmund, their first against them in Germany, and make it two wins out of two matches in their Champions League Group H.
Ronaldo scored their second of the evening after a fine effort from Welshman Gareth Bale, who had put them ahead with a superb volley in the 18th minute. The Portuguese then proceeded to kill off the match thumping the ball past keeper Roman Buerki in the 79th.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang briefly pulled one back in the 54th but the Germans, who lost to Real for the first time at home after six unbeaten matches, could not replicate last season’s two-goal comeback to draw.
Real have a maximum six points from their two group matches, level with Tottenham Hotspur who beat APOEL Nicosia 3-0. Bundesliga leaders Dortmund are in last place without any points, after losing their opener at Spurs.
With 4.8 goals scored on average in Dortmund’s last six home games in the competition, it did not take long for the two sides to explode into action.
Dortmund’s Jeremy Toljan sprinted into the box but his pinpoint cutback was cleared at the last moment with Aubameyang lurking at the far post after three minutes.
Daniel Carvajal responded with a solo effort down the right and Ronaldo, who has now scored 13 goals in his last seven Champions League games, also came close a little later but instead of finishing off the move he chose to pass to Bale.
Real were lucky not to concede a penalty when Sergio Ramos cleared a Maximilian Philipp effort on the line with his hand in a pulsating encounter.
But there was no luck involved when Bale raced into space and perfectly volleyed in a smooth Carvajal cross in the 18th to shock the home crowd.
Dortmund did not back down though and Raphael Varane had to come to the rescue right after the restart, clearing a Andriy Yarmolenko cross on the goal line with yet again Aubameyang a step too late.
It was Real, however, who scored again when Bale was given far too much space to cut in and find Ronaldo in the heart of the box.
The Germans quickly pulled a goal back with Aubameyang stabbing in a Gonzalo Castro cross to keep the game tight, until Ronaldo broke clear and fired in their third goal 11 minutes from time.
