Real Madrid all but sealed their passage into the quarter-final of the Champions League with a 2-0 away victory against AS Roma.
Zinedine Zidane's first taste of Champions League football as a manager couldn't have gone any better, his side were dominant for large swathes of the game and were able to keep Luciano Spalletti's side goalless on their home turf.
Zinedine Zidane soaks up the atmosphere for his first Champions League game as manager. Image: John Walton / EMPICS Sport
The Spanish giants started the brighter of the two sides, but chances were at a premium in the first half. Ronaldo fired a freekick wide, while Marcelo's speculative volley bounced on the wrong side of the post.
Roma weren't without their threat in the opening period either, Mohamed Salah caused Marcelo all sorts of problems on the wing and the Italian's broke at pace every chance they were afforded.
Stephan El Shaarawy had probably Roma's best chance of the opening half but his effort went high and over the bar.
Roma made life a little bit more uncomfortable for the visitors in the second period with their forwards Karim Benzema and Ronaldo left to feed off scraps.
The game hanged just before the hour mark however, when Marcelo's throw-in opened up room for Cristiano Ronaldo down the left wing.
The Portuguese cut inside with a trademark flick and his deflected shot found its way into the net beyond an outstretched Wojciech Szczesny.
A classic Ronaldo goal! 🙊
— Aidan Walsh (@AidanMUFC_) February 17, 2016
Roma had chances to level the game, the best of which came when Edin Dzeko laid the ball off for the onrushing William Vainqueur, but he sent his thunderous shot just inches wide of the post.
Substitute Jese Rodriguez settled the contest three minutes from time, his dribble up the right wing went unchallenged and his shot found its way into the bottom corner, to all but kill-off the tie.
Jese Rodriguez scored the second and final goal of the evening for the visitors. Image: John Walton / EMPICS Sport
Elsewhere tonight, Gent lost out 3-2 to visitors Wolfsburg after coming from 3-0 down.
Goals from Sven Kums and Kalifa Coulibaly in the final 10 minutes ensured that the fixture remains alive heading to the second leg in Germany.
A Julian Draxler brace as well as Max Kruse's strike on the hour mark guaranteed victory for the German side.
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