Kaka shines as Real rout Ajax
Reuters - Tuesday 27 September 2011, 21:11
MADRID - A rejuvenated Kaka scored one
goal and had a hand in two more as nine-times European Cup
winners Real Madrid thumped Ajax Amsterdam 3-0 to seize control
of Champions League Group D on Tuesday.
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the
25th minute at the Bernabeu, finishing off a sweeping breakaway
move. Brazil playmaker Kaka and France striker Karim Benzema
then struck either side of half-time.
"It was a good win and puts us in a good position in the
group," Kaka told Spanish television.
"We need to continue like this and I think we can seal the
group very soon," added the 29-year-old who was given a rousing
ovation when he was substituted in the 75th minute.
Kaka joined Real from AC Milan at the end of the 2008/09
season for a fee of almost 70 million euros but
a series of injuries have prevented him rediscovering the form
that won him the World Player of the Year award in 2007.
He looked back to his sparkling best on Tuesday as Real, who
were knocked out by bitter rivals and eventual champions
Barcelona in last year's semi-finals, strengthened their hold on
top spot with six points from two matches.
Olympique Lyon have four points thanks to their 2-0 win at
home to Dinamo Zagreb, with Ajax on one point in third and the
Croatian team bottom on zero.
RAPID MOVE
Real coach Jose Mourinho, serving the final game of a
three-match ban, opted for an attacking formation against the
Dutch side with Kaka and Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil operating
just behind Ronaldo and Benzema.
However, it was Ajax who started brightest and Iker Casillas
had to make a smart save low to his left from Christian
Eriksen's snap shot in the first minute.
Casillas was called into action again in the 15th when
Kolbeinn Sigthorsson burst through the centre and the Spain
keeper blocked the Icelander's shot.
Real's first real chance came two minutes later when Sami
Khedira found space on the right and pulled the ball back for
Benzema but the Frenchman scuffed his shot wide.
Kenneth Vermeer in Ajax's goal did well to sprint off his
line and block a Ronaldo effort in the 22nd but was powerless to
prevent the forward giving his side the lead three minutes
later.
Ronaldo, another former World Player of the Year and the
world's most expensive footballer, smashed the ball into the net
after a rapid passing move involving Ozil, Kaka and Benzema.
Kaka was allowed too much space on the edge of the area and
fired a powerful left-foot drive into the corner in the 41st
minute and any hopes of a second-half Ajax revival were snuffed
out in the 49th when Benzema sidefooted home Kaka's pass.
Ajax coach Frank de Boer, who helped the club win the
European Cup in 1995 before making more than 150 appearances for
Barcelona, said his side needed to be "smarter and better
organised" if they were to challenge teams like Real.
"I said in my talk before the game that Real Madrid were
very dangerous on the break and they showed that again tonight,"
the former Dutch international said.
"We started pretty well though and that should give us some
confidence for the coming games."