Higuain saves Real's blushes with late volley

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: GROUP GReal Madrid 2 Ajax Amsterdam 0: GONZALO HIGUAIN netted a neat volley to save dominant Real Madrid's blushes, helping the La Liga giants to a 2-0 victory over Ajax Amsterdam in Group G last night.

Real, starting their bid for a 10th European title with new coach Jose Mourinho at the helm, fluffed a slew of chances at a sultry Bernabeu. Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina winger Angel Di Maria were especially wasteful. Di Maria’s international team-mate Higuain was initially credited with the opening goal in the 31st minute but Uefa later ruled it had gone in off defender Vurnon Anita.

Higuain made the game safe in the 73rd minute when he volleyed home from close range after excellent work from Mesut Ozil. Mourinho’s players were under pressure to entertain their demanding fans after a couple of lacklustre displays in the Spanish league and a sparkling 5-1 win for arch rivals Barcelona against Panathinaikos on Tuesday.

However, a series of brilliant stops from Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and some wayward shooting deprived the supporters of a goal fest.

Ronaldo was the target of impatient whistling from some sectors of the crowd after some of his shots flew well wide and he somehow let the ball through his legs with the goal at his mercy in the 89th minute.

New fan favourite Ozil again impressed in the midfield role vacated by the injured Kaka and was given a standing ovation when he was replaced late on.

REAL MADRID:Casillas, Arbeloa, Carvalho, Pepe, Marcelo, Alonso (Lassana Diarra 83), Khedira, Di Maria (Pedro Leon 79), Ozil (Canales 87), Ronaldo, Higuain. Subs not used: Adan, Benzema, Granero, Mateos. Booked: Alonso.

AJAX AMSTERDAM:Stekelenburg, Van Der Wiel, Ooijer, Alderweireld, Anita, Enoh, De Zeeuw (Tainio 68), Emanuelson, De Jong, Sulejmani (Eriksen 85), El Hamdaoui. Subs not used: Verhoeven, Blind, Lindgren, Oleguer, Jozefzoon. Booked: De Zeeuw.

Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia).

Attendance: 80,142