Ronaldo's late double earns Real draw
(Reuters)Updated: 2006-12-07 13:35
Ronaldo scored two goals in the last four minutes to earn Real Madrid a 2-2 draw against Dynamo Kiev in their final Champions League Group E match on Wednesday.
 Real Madrid's Ronaldo (C) fight for the ball with Dynamo Kiev's Rodrigo (R) and Vitaliy Mandzyuk (L) during their UEFA Champions League Group E soccer match in Kiev December 6, 2006. [Reuters]  |
The match, played in a nearly empty 83,000-seat Olympic stadium, lacked the usual Champions League intensity with both teams already assured of their finishing places in the group.
The Spaniards finished second behind group winners Olympique Lyon on 11 points to qualify for the knockout phase, while Dynamo ended bottom with two points.
With a place in the last 16 already secured, Real coach Fabio Capello rested several first-choice players, including captain Raul, centre back Fabio Cannavaro and midfielder Emerson while leaving number one goalkeeper Iker Casillas and strikers Robinho and Ruud van Nistelrooy on the bench.
Despite playing only for pride, Capello said he was determined to get the result.
CAPELLO PEP-TALK
"No coach in the world wants to lose and I would never go into a match looking to lose," the Italian told Reuters.
"That's why I had a big talk at halftime to fire up the team as we were lacking some intensity in the first half."
Shatskikh fired Dynamo ahead in the 13th minute, beating Real's second-choice keeper Diego Lopez with a crisp volley after a Valentin Belkevich cross from the right.
He doubled the lead by slotting home past the onrushing Lopez after a great through ball by Artem Milevsky 14 minutes later.
The visitors also had their chances in the opening half, but first striker Antonio Cassano wasted a great chance after going one-on-one with Dynamo keeper Olexander Shovkovsky, then full back Michel Salgado missed another opportunity by shooting just wide of the post.
Shatskikh missed a good chance for a hat-trick shortly after the break when he failed to finish another fine pass from the right.
At the other end, Beckham was unlucky not to find the target midway through the second half when his crisp shot hit the post, while Shovkovsky stopped Roberto Carlos's powerful drive several minutes later, setting the stage for Ronaldo's heroics.
Capello praised the Brazilian, saying: "He is a world-class striker, that's why you can never count him out.
"It is very important for us that Ronaldo is getting back into his top form after a long injury break."
Capello, however, declined to say if Ronaldo would play in Real's next league match, against Sevilla on Saturday.
"We'll just have to wait and see," he said.
Dynamo coach Anatoly Demyanenko was left to rue missed chances.
"We played a good game, had many chances to score a few more, but once again paid the price for our mistakes," he said.
"Overall, of course, I'm very disappointed with our Champions League showing this year."
It was the 10th meetings between the two sides in Europe's premier club competition, with the Spanish giants holding a sizable edge with four wins against one for Dynamo seven and a half years ago.
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