Sporting CP vs. Real Madrid: Score, Reaction from 2016 Champions League Match

Karim Benzema scored the game-winning goal in the 87th minute as Real Madrid secured a berth in the Champions League knockout phase with a 2-1 victory over Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Portugal.

The match marked a homecoming of sorts for Blancos superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who started his career with the Lions before leaving for Manchester United in 2003. The Portuguese international picked up an assist on Raphael Varane's first-half goal to help spark the win.

Adrien Silva scored the only goal for Sporting, who are eliminated from UCL contention.

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane expected a hard-fought encounter after his side narrowly escaped with a 2-1 home triumph in September's first meeting of the group stage. Alberto Navarro of the club's official website passed along the boss' thoughts about the rematch.

"We weren't surprised in the first game against Sporting CP. They put in a great performance, and we were made to work for the win," Zidane said Monday. "Tomorrow, it'll be just as difficult, and they're going to look to make life tough for us. The important thing is that we're ready for a very tough game."

An overabundance of caution from both sides led to a sloppy opening 20 minutes. They combined to attempt just two shots, with none on target, as neither club could generate an extended stretch on the ball because of a series of passing errors in the midfield.

Real broke the deadlock in the 29th minute off a set piece generated by Ronaldo, who was fouled just outside the box by Ruben Semedo.

The dynamic forward also played a key role in the goal as he laid off Luka Modric's hopeful free kick from the right wing into the path of Varane. The defender managed to stay onside amid the chaos and slotted the shot past Rui Patricio for the opening tally.

OptaJose provided an additional note about the Frenchman's goal:

Dermot Corrigan of ESPN wasn't sure the quick touch by Ronaldo for the assist was on purpose:

Sporting were the more dangerous side for the remaining portion of the first half. Twice Bruno Cesar had a chance to level the score, but the first was deflected away by Sergio Ramos, and the second, a free kick, just missed the frame after appearing to beat Keylor Navas.

Keeping the home squad at bay in the first half was a welcome sight for Real Madrid. Their last appearance in Champions League play resulted in a surprising 3-3 draw with Legia Warsaw because of numerous mistakes in the defensive third to aid the underdog Polish club.

Sporting tried to amplify the pressure after halftime, knowing they needed all three points to keep their hopes of advancing alive. Those efforts took a controversial blow in the 64th minute when Joao Pereira got shown a straight red card for his contact on Mateo Kovacic after the whistle.

Jan Hagen of Metro noted the Lions boss was extremely unhappy with the decision:

On the opposite side, Real suffered a loss of their own, as Gareth Bale limped off early in the second half after suffering a knock.

Lucas Navarrete of Managing Madrid passed along an update:

Sporting managed to get back even while playing with 10 men courtesy of a head-scratching play from Fabio Coentrao. The Blancos defender tried to block a passing lane with his arms in the air, making for an easy handball decision to give the home club a penalty in the 80th minute.

Silva made no mistake to power home the spot kick to make it 1-1. The tie was short-lived, however.

After Real Madrid managed to escape a couple of close calls defensively, they pushed forward to find the winner in the final moments. The winner came as Ramos floated in a well-placed cross to Benzema, who rose up and calmly headed the ball into the corner.

Rhiannon Jones of BBC Sport noted the sense of relief from Real:

Sid Lowe of the Guardian credited the delivery on the late winner:

Looking ahead, Real Madrid earned a little extra lineup flexibility for the group finale against Borussia Dortmund in December, since they are guaranteed a place in the knockout rounds. A lot will now depend on how much they desire to finish atop Pool F.

Zidane may instead use the opportunity to give his star players some rest amid a busy schedule. They are in the midst of playing eight matches in the span of 26 days. Next up is a league fixture Saturday against Sporting Gijon at the Bernabeu.

Meanwhile, the focus for Sporting Lisbon shifts to the Europa League. They can punch a ticket to the second-tier European competition with a win or a draw against Legia Warsaw on Dec. 7. The Lions have a few Primeira Liga games to worry about before that, starting Saturday against Boavista.

Post-Match Reaction

Phil Kitromilides of Real Madrid TV relayed remarks from Zidane about the injury situation coming out of the match.

"We took Marcelo off for precaution," the manager said. "Bale has an ankle problem. We'll know more tomorrow."

He also discussed the packed schedule coming out of the international break, per Real Madrid Info.

"Playing every three days, it is normal that we are missing a bit of energy," Zidane said. "Now we have to rest."