Already-qualified Real Madrid did Liverpool a favour this evening by beating Basel 1-0 in Switzerland.
Cristiano Ronaldo's 71st Champions League goal earned Los Blancos a slender win and set up a Group B showdown between Liverpool and Basel at Anfield to see who will join them in the last 16.
The victory was Madrid's 15th on the bounce in all competitions. Below, Sports Mole analyses whether the result was reflective of the action, or whether the plucky hosts were hard done by.
Match statistics
BASEL
Shots: 18
On target: 4
Possession: 47%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 12
REAL
Shots: 8
On target: 4
Possession: 53%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 11
Was the result fair?
Real certainly did not have it their own way, but produced more moments of quality in the final third, including what proved to be the winning goal. Basel held their own and even had spells on top, but that matters little if you cannot put the ball in the net.
Basel's performance
Solid and organised to begin with, Basel's plan to stifle Real was scuppered by Ronaldo's 31st-minute goal. They had to change tact and their more adventurous approach after the break saw them really press for an equaliser from minutes 50-70. Teenage striker Breel Embolo spent much of the game as a lone forward, but gave two of Europe's best centre-backs a tougher 90 minutes than they will often get in La Liga. The 17-year-old spurned a couple of chances, and a lack of ruthless finishing from him and his teammates was the reason that the Swiss fell short in what was an otherwise impressive performance. Liverpool should be worried.
Real's performance
Did not get out of second gear until Ronaldo equalled club legend Raul's Champions League scoring tally. It was a clever bit of movement from the Portuguese, but full credit must go to Karim Benzema's skilful and determined run in the build-up. If Madrid thought that was going to signal the opening of the floodgates, they had another thing coming as Basel responded strongly in the early stages of the second half. A smart substitution from Carlo Ancelotti, bringing on Asier Illarramendi for Benzema, helped Madrid regain control of the midfield, and with that came the greater possession which led to several late chances to put the game to bed. There were moments of real sloppiness at the back, though, and with 15 wins in a row in all competitions, Ancelotti may have to guard against complacency among some of his squad.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Karim Benzema: He is probably enjoying his best season at Los Blancos. He made a vital contribution to the only goal of the game and linked up delightfully with Ronaldo on other occasions too. He did not have a shot on target in his 70 minutes on the field, but that is what is strangely impressive about the striker. In a team full of attacking talent, he is the one selfless element and his running and work rate helps to free up space for his talented colleagues.
Biggest gaffe
The offside flag spared Derlis Gonzalez the embarrassment of missing an open goal from six yards, but he is not spared this award. However, it is for another offence - his unparalleled playacting, for which he is found guilty here. One theatrical dive after a first-half challenge with Ramos was bad enough, but leaving the field on a stretcher, only to make a spritely return 60 seconds later was unforgivable melodramatics.
Referee performance
Serbian referee Milorad Mazic produced five yellow cards, all of which were fair, but there perhaps could have been a couple more as Basel upped the physicality in the second half. His assistants both had fine evenings as they each correctly disallowed a goal for offside when the calls were really tight.
What next?
Basel: A crunch match with Liverpool in a fortnight's time will decide their Champions League fate. A win or a draw at Anfield will be enough to take them through to the knockout stages.
Real: Malaga and Celta Vigo in the league and Cornella in the Copa del Rey before their final Group B tie. Will they have extended their winning streak to 18 by the time Ludogorets visit Spain?
Joe Fish
