Higuain on target for Real
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ByEurosport
Updated 15/09/2010 at 22:13 GMT
Gonzalo Higuain helped Real Madrid to a winning start in the Champions League with a 2-0 victory over Ajax at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain (C) celebrates after scoring a goal against Ajax during their Champions League Group G soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, September 15, 2010
Image credit: Reuters
Real boss Jose Mourinho is seeking a third European title after successes at Internazionale last season and with Porto in 2004.
And Vurnon Anita's own-goal after 31 minutes got the 31-times Liga champions off and running before Argentine Higuain made the result safe with 17 minutes remaining.
Ajax had won the last four matches between the two sides but it was Real who dominated the first half.
Ronaldo danced his way into the box after 21 minutes, squeezing between two Ajax defenders, but followed up with a heavy touch which allowed the excellent Maarten Stekelenburg to smother.
The world's most expensive player nearly got Real off the mark three minutes later after cutting in from the left, only to see Gregory van der Wiel block his curling shot, which look destined for the far corner.
Angel Di Maria had a penalty appeal turned down after hitting the deck following a Stekelenburg challenge but Real soon made their dominance count.
Xabi Alonso swung in a corner to the near post and Anita, in a crowded box, headed into his own net, although Higuain claimed the goal.
While Real controlled long periods, Mourinho cut a frustrated figure at half-time with Ronaldo too eager to shoot from distance and his team unable to go into the dressing room with a bigger advantage.
Ronaldo picked up in the second half where he left off in the first - shooting wildly without troubling Stekelenburg.
Higuain should have doubled Real's advantage after Dutch international Stekelenburg could only parry Di Maria's fierce shot into his path.
But the 22-year-old inexplicably volleyed over from six yards after bringing the ball down on his chest.
Ronaldo's wayward night failed to improve, completely missing the ball despite Higuain gifting the former Manchester United man with an open net after sliding a pass across goal.
And Higuain took matters into his own hands with 73 minutes on the clock when Di Maria lifted a superb ball over the Ajax defence to Mesut Ozil.
The German saw his thundering shot saved by Stekelenburg but had the foresight to pick out his team-mate with the follow-up and Higuain, scorer of four goals at the World Cup, slotted home from close range.
Miralem Sulejmani forced Iker Casillas into a good stop from a long-distance volley five minutes later but that was as close as Ajax came.
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