Malmo vs. Real Madrid: Winners and Losers from Champions League
Cristiano Ronaldo's brace powered Real Madrid past a stingy Malmo side on Wednesday at the Swedbank Stadion in the UEFA Champions League.
Ronaldo netted his 500th career goal in the 29th minute after Isco fed him with a pass in plenty of space. The Portuguese star had to wait until the 90th minute to score his second strike, which came on a toe poke right in front of the net.
Malmo turned in a resilient performance in front of their home fans, but they were unable to capitalize on the opportunities they produced in the second half.
The win kept Real Madrid in the race for first place in Group A with Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the clashes on Matchdays 3 and 4 between the two European powerhouses.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Malmo.
Winner: Cristiano Ronaldo
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Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 500th career goal in the 29th minute as he slotted the ball into the left side of the net past Johan Wiland.
The goal was set up by a nice move forward by Los Blancos, which saw Isco surrounded by a pair of defenders on the left wing. Isco then played the ball over to a wide-open Ronaldo, who made sure he did not waste the opportunity as he took his time before shooting and scoring.
Ronaldo's strike also put him level with Raul on the club's Champions League scoring leaderboard at 66, per ESPN Stats and Info on Twitter. Ronaldo had to wait until the 90th minute to pull past the club legend on the European scoring chart.
The Portuguese star's second tally of the contest also allowed him to tie Raul for the all-time club lead in goals at 323, per Infostrada Sports on Twitter.
Loser: Karim Benzema
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When the Real Madrid starting lineup was released, many expected Karim Benzema and Ronaldo to combine on plenty of occasions to put the hosts away early.
However, when the Frenchman left the pitch in the 68th minute, the visitors only had one goal to their name thanks to the inefficiency displayed by Benzema in the final third.
Benzema ended his shift with one shot off target to his name, which is unacceptable against a weaker side like Malmo.
The lackluster performance from Benzema did not do his confidence any favors as Real Madrid prepare for a vital La Liga match with Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Winner: Dani Carvajal
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Despite not being able to create a goal, Dani Carvajal was a force on the right wing throughout the contest for Real Madrid.
Carvajal came close to scoring in the waning moments of the first half, but his attempt from the right side of the box struck the left upright.
As the match progressed and Real Madrid continued their quest for a second goal, Carvajal bombed forward on the flank in an attempt to open up space in the box for Ronaldo and Benzema.
Along with his impressive surges forward, Carvajal limited Malmo's attacking intent on the left wing. The majority of Malmo's attacks were started through right-back Anton Tinnerholm against Alvaro Arbeloa.
Loser: Yoshimar Yotun
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With his side gaining momentum in attack in the second half, Yoshimar Yotun made a clumsy challenge on substitute Lucas Vazquez. The foul resulted in the defender's second yellow card of the match.
After Yotun was sent off by Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir, Malmo were put under pressure by the Real Madrid attack, which is something they avoided for most of the second stanza.
Not only did Yotun put his side at a disadvantage on Wednesday, he also hurt his team's chances of earning points on Matchday 3 against Shakhtar Donetsk.
In a competition where the odds are stacked against them, Malmo need their best players to be out on the pitch. Due to Yotun's silly foul, they will not have that luxury entering Matchday 3.
Winner: Johan Wiland
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Johan Wiland's play in the Malmo net was the main reason why Real Madrid had to wait until the 90th minute to strike for a second goal.
Wiland's most important denials came after Yotun was sent off as he stopped Ronaldo on two occasions in the 80th and 84th minutes.
Although he did end up letting in a second goal in the 90th minute on a toe poke by Ronaldo, Wiland deserves praise for keeping Malmo in the match.
By conceding just twice, Wiland kept Malmo in third place in Group A on goal differential, which may be a vital stat for the Swedish side in the fight for a Europa League spot against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from WhoScored.com
