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Real Madrid found solace in the Champions League once more as a 2-0 win at Roma confirmed top spot in Group G.<\/p>\nReal Madrid found solace in the Champions League once more as a 2-0 win at Roma confirmed top spot in Group G.<\/p>\n
The three-time reigning champions took a 47th-minute lead through Gareth Bale, who capitalized on Federico Fazio\u2019s mistake.<\/p>\n
That came after Cengiz Under\u2019s woeful miss at the end of the first half and Real doubled their lead when Lucas Vazquez struck to secure top spot in the pool.<\/p>\n
Both sides are suffering domestically. Roma lost to Udinese in Serie A last Saturday and are seventh; Real are sixth in LaLiga following a 3-0 loss to Eibar, their fifth of the season.<\/p>\n
But both are in the knockout stages of Europe\u2019s elite club competition. Viktoria Plzen\u2019s earlier 2-1 win at CSKA Moscow meant both sides were through before kick-off, with top spot in Group G and a favorable last-16 seeding becoming the target.<\/p>\n
Roma needed to beat Real by four clear goals to usurp them at the top of the pool, which was always an unlikely outcome.<\/p>\n
Bale lined up on Madrid\u2019s left, but the visitors struggled to assert themselves in the first half.<\/p>\n
A Luka Modric foul on Stephan El Shaarawy led to the winger\u2019s substitution, with Justin Kluivert, the son of former Barcelona striker Patrick, on in his place.<\/p>\n
Patrik Schick shot straight at Thibaut Courtois from an Aleksandar Kolarov free-kick as Roma created few chances.<\/p>\n
The best of the first half came in stoppage time, when Under missed from close range.<\/p>\n
Nicolo Zaniolo\u2019s cross from the left beat Courtois and Sergio Ramos and, with the goal gaping, Under contrived to send the ball over the bar from four yards out.<\/p>\n
The miss was to prove even more costly when Bale netted his 20th goal in 58 Champions League appearances, punishing a poor clearance from Robin Olsen and a misjudged header from Fazio.<\/p>\n
The Welshman was loitering with intent when Olsen sent his kick high into the air and Fazio\u2019s header went only as far as Bale, who rolled a left-footed shot in.<\/p>\n
Olsen denied Bale with the Welshman one on one soon afterwards and the former Tottenham forward next spurned another opportunity.<\/p>\n
Madrid\u2019s second came on the counter attack following a Roma corner.<\/p>\n
Karim Benzema fed Toni Kroos and Modric crossed from the left towards Benzema. The France striker headed the ball down for Vazquez to finish.<\/p>\n
Olsen denied Marcelo at the end of another Real counter before next saving from Benzema.<\/p>\n
Substitute Ante Coric had an effort blocked by Raphael Varane and Kolarov saw a shot saved by Courtois, but Roma could not find a reply.<\/p>\n