Carlo Ancelotti’s men had been under pressure heading into their first European clash of the season, but a first-half flurry ensured they eased to three points
Agencies
Madrid, September 17
Real Madrid bounced back from successive defeats by thrashing Basel 5-1 to open the defence of their Champions League crown on Tuesday. A scintillating display provided the perfect tonic for Saturday’s 2-1 loss to fierce rivals Atletico Madrid, with Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez on the scoresheet after Marek Suchy’s own goal had set them on their way in the first half of the Group B clash.
Derlis Gonzalez reduced the arrears before half-time but Real – who achieved La Decima last season – ultimately sent out a clear signal of intent to their European rivals, with Karim Benzema scoring the goal of the night 11 minutes from time.
Carlo Ancelotti has come under some pressure after overseeing an underwhelming start to the domestic campaign but, despite the defeat to Atleti, he made just one change as Nacho came in for Alvaro Arbeloa.
And it was the right-back who was celebrating when Real took the lead in the 14th minute, although he surely realised that the goal would not be his.
James’ back heel found Nacho in the box and his cross hit Suchy, wrong-footing Czech compatriot Tomas Vaclik in the Basel goal.
The hosts continued to dominate possession and, after Marcelo fired over, Luka Modric stung Vaclik’s palms from long distance by way of another warning shot.
But there was nothing the goalkeeper could do when Real struck three times in seven minutes before the break.
Modric was influential in the first two, setting up Bale to net with a composed two-touch finish, before his superb outside-of-the-boot pass found the Welshman who in turn fed Ronaldo to tap in.
The game was over as a contest when James pounced to stab home after Benzema’s shot was parried.
Basel, smarting from a 3-1 defeat against Grasshopper Zurich that prompted four changes, pulled one back immediately as Gonzalez – one of those to have been drafted in – capped a swift break with a precise finish.
The tempo dipped after the break and some of Real’s defensive frailties were exposed, Iker Casillas producing a fine reflex save from Gonzalez following a mistake by substitute Raphael Varane.
Bale should have grabbed his second in the 72nd minute after gathering James’ pass and bearing down on goal, but his toe-poked effort was turned around the post for a corner by Vaclik.
Fabian Schar struck a post from 20 yards in the last 15 minutes to underline an apparent sense of complacency among Ancelotti’s charges, but the hosts were just saving the best until last.
Benzema and Ronaldo combined on the edge of the box to bamboozle the Basel defence and the Frenchman unleashed a stunning strike that struck the underside of the bar before bouncing in.
But Real will now turn back to the harsh reality of their plight in the Spanish top flight, where a return of just three points from three games has left them 13th.
Borussia Dortmund outclass Arsenal 2-0
Agencies
London, September 17
Arsenal’s 17th consecutive Champions League campaign got off to a disastrous start as Arsene Wenger’s side went down 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund in the Group D opener at the Westfalenstadion.
Arsene Wenger’s side became the first English team to win at Dortmund thanks to an Aaron Ramsey goal last year, but without Mathieu Debuchy, who is out for at least two months with an ankle injury sustained against Manchester City, and Calum Chambers in defence, the Premier League side faced an uphill task to repeat the feat.
Dortmund dominated the first half, with 15 shots on goal to Arsenal’s one, and Gunners’ goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had to be sharp in the 26th minute when he saved from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at close range.
The Premier League side’s best chance of the half dropped to new signing Danny Welbeck, running on to an Aaron Ramsey pass, but the England international shot wide of Roman Weidenfeller’s goal.
And the German side took the lead on the stroke of half-time, when £16m signing from Torino Ciro Immobile picked up the ball on the halfway line, outpaced first Per Mertesacker and then Jack Wilshere before angling a shot past Szczesny from the right channel.
Jurgen Klopp’s side scored their second of the evening three minutes into the second half, making it 11 times in the last 19 Champions League away games that Arsenal have conceded two or more goals.
And it was down to more slack defending, as Aubameyang ran on to a Kevin Grosskreutz pass then kept his balance to round Szczesny and stab the ball past the covering Laurent Koscielny.
Arsenal were unable to deal with Aubameyang’s pace, the Gabon international outpacing Koscielny in the 57th minute only to see his on-the-run effort clip the top of the crossbar.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan should have made it three in the 72nd minute after Dortmund broke following a Mikel Arteta mistake in midfield, but the Armenian shot over the bar and into the ‘Yellow Wall’ of Dortmund fans behind Szczesny’s goal.
And Welbeck wasted another chance in the 75th minute when he blazed over from the edge of the area after brilliantly rolling Neven Subotic.
After their first Matchday 1 defeat for 11 years, Arsenal will face Galatasaray at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, 1 October in the second round of fixtures.
Burak Yilmaz scored in stoppage time for the Super Lig side to secure a 1-1 home draw with Anderlecht in their Group D opener.
Dennis Praet had given the Belgian side a deserved lead seven minutes into the second half at the Turk Telekom Arena.
