Real Madrid 5 - Dynamo Kiev 1

Madrid: Casillas; Mejía, Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Roberto Carlos; Diarra, Emerson; Reyes (Beckham 46'), Guti, Raúl (Robinho 84'); Van Nistelrooy (Ronaldo 72'). 4-2-3-1.
Kiev: Shovkovski; Gusev, Gavrancic, Sablic, Nesmachniy; Diogo Rincón (Aliyev 80'), Correa (Mikhalik 74'), Yussuf, Belkevich (Rybka 69'); Milevskiy, Shatskikh. 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 20. Van Nistelrooy. Tap in after keeper couldn't hold on to Roberto Carlos shot.
2-0. 27. Raúl. Directed far post header wide of Shovkovski from Reyes long cross.
3-0. 45. Reyes. Bent first time volley wide of keeper from Diarra's square pass.
3-1. 47. Milevskiy. Beat Casillas on follow up after keeper blocked Correa shot.
4-1. 61. Raúl. Intercepted poor Gavrancic back pass and rounded keeper to score.
5-1. 70. Van Nistelrooy (penalty). After keeper sent off for bringing down Raúl.

Real Madrid got their Champions League campaign back on track with a 5-1 win over Dynamo Kiev. With Cicinho and Salgado both injured, Fabio Capello gave a first start to Mejía, and Van Nistelrooy made the line up late on after the returned from attending the birth of his daughter. And with twenty minutes on the clock he was given a free gift after keeper Shovkovski could only push out Roberto Carlos's angled shot, the striker scoring Madrid's first Champions League goal in four games.

Kiev reacted quickly, and could have equalised as the Spanish defence once again looked shaky. But soon afterwards Raúl got behind the defence to head a long Reyes cross wide of the keeper, a great relief for the team captain who himself had not scored in almost a year. Once again the visitors pushed forward, but Raúl volleyed just wide before Reyes made it three, latching on to Diarra's cross to curl a shot inside the near post.

Just two minutes after the restart though Kiev pulled one back, Casillas only able to beat out Correa's shot into the path of Milevskiy. Beckham (who had replaced the injured Reyes at the break) almost set up Van Nistelrooy to head in another, but a few minutes later Raúl took advantage of a poor back pass from Gavrancic to nip in, round the keeper and score his second of the night, taking him back level with Shevchenko as the competition's all time top scorer.

Diogo Rincón fired a shot over the top at the other end as Kiev kept up the fight, but they were left with ten men when Shovkovski pulled down Van Nistelrooy as he advanced on goal. The striker converted the spot kick himself against reserve keeper Rybka, and a couple of minutes later left the field to a standing ovation to be replaced by Ronaldo, who was making his first appearance this season.

Rybka kept out Emerson and Sergio Ramos after that, and Rincón fired a good chance up into the stands. But a few minutes later it was all over, and Madrid moved up to second in their group, ahead of Steaua Bucharest who they meet next.