Ronaldo on target as Lloris heroics earn point

in #sports7 years ago



 

            Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty cancelled out a Raphael Varane  own goal as Real Madrid and Tottenham played out a 1-1 draw.         

 Tottenham held Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw at the  Santiago Bernabeu in an enthralling encounter between the top two of  Champions League Group H.Cristiano Ronaldo cancelled out Raphael  Varane's own goal in the first half in the Spanish capital, but the  holders could not find a way past the inspired Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris  in their pursuit of a second.Both these teams had won their  opening two group games and suitably delivered a match of high quality  on Tuesday, in which both goalkeepers were forced into some stunning  saves to keep the scores level.It was Spurs who struck first,  with Varane inadvertently turning Serge Aurier's cross into his own net,  before Ronaldo drew Madrid level with his fifth Champions League goal  of the season.Madrid enjoyed more possession and the better of  the chances but Lloris was in inspired form, producing athletic stops to  deny Karim Benzema and Ronaldo and earn his side a share of the spoils,  while it required a brilliant save from Keylor Navas to prevent Harry  Kane snatching the win for Tottenham.The result means the teams  are level on seven points and identical goal difference ahead of the  return fixture at Wembley on November 1.Spurs lined up with  Fernando Llorente alongside Kane in attack and a five-man defence, but  the reinforced back line was exposed inside the first five minutes as  Ronaldo rattled the post with a header before Karim Benzema side-footed  wide on the rebound.Spurs grew in confidence as they settled into  proceedings, with fit-again Navas making a fine reaction save to deny  Kane, and the Bernabeu was silenced in the 28th minute thanks to a  clinical counter-attack.Aurier raced into space down the right  and sent a low cross towards Kane, and although the England striker  missed his attempted backheel, the ball clipped Varane and looped beyond  Navas.Isco and Marcelo were each denied by good near-post saves  from Lloris as Madrid pushed for a leveller before the break and they  managed just that with two minutes of the half to play, Ronaldo blasting  home from the penalty spot after Aurier had brought down Toni Kroos at  the end of a flowing move.Benzema should have put Madrid ahead  nine minutes after the restart but Lloris somehow kept out his header  from point-blank range with an outstretched foot, and he made a flying  stop to tip a Ronaldo half-volley over the bar as the home side kept up  the pressure.Navas was called upon to stop Spurs snatching the  win with two spectacular saves, though. He dived low to his left to tip  Kane's effort around the post after the striker was played clean  through, before getting fingertips to a fierce Christian Eriksen strike.Madrid  piled on some late pressure but could not find a way through a diligent  Spurs defence – for whom Danny Rose made a late appearance for his  first outing since January – as Mauricio Pochettino celebrated an  important point upon his return to Spain.   

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