Ronaldo back in business with Real

REAL MADRID took a step closer to the last 16 of the Champions League after easing past FC Zurich 1-0 in a match that saw the return to action of Cristiano Ronaldo following injury.

Gonzalo Higuain struck the only goal of a game that a workmanlike Madrid bossed in terms of possession and territory.

Madrid are now two points clear of AC Milan and three clear of Marseille.

The other good news for the Spanish giants was the return of Ronaldo.

The £80million man has missed Madrid’s last 10 matches after suffering an ankle injury in the previous clash with Marseille on September 30, but he appeared as a second-half substitute.

It took the home side only 11 minutes to break the deadlock, with Higuain, somewhat unsurprisingly, the man on the mark, picking up Kaka’s through-ball and slotting low past Leoni.

Milan will have to sweat to the end over their Champions League progress after being held by Marseille at the San Siro.

Lucho Gonzalez’s 16th-minute equaliser for the French cancelled out Marco Borriello’s opener six minutes earlier.

Bordeaux secured top spot in Group A in a 2-0 win which leaves Juventus in danger of elimination from Europe’s elite competition.

Fernando headed Bordeaux into a 54th-minute lead and Marouane Chamakh made certain with a close-range stoppage-time second.

Bayern Munich kept their chances of reaching the last 16 alive with a narrow 1-0 win over Maccabi Haifa.

Ivica Olic scored the only goal of the game in the 62nd minute to keep the Bavarians in the race to join Bordeaux in qualifying for the next round

Bayern are one point behind the Italians and a win at Juventus in Turin on December 8 would see them progress.

German champions Wolfsburg missed the chance to book a place in the knockout stages as CSKA Moscow came from behind to beat them 2-1 in the early kick-off, taking Group B down to the final round.

Heading into the clash Wolfsburg had seven points from their four previous matches and a win at the Luzhniki Stadium would have booked their spot in the next stage.

However, after Edin Dzeko’s opener for the Germans CSKA hit back through Tomas Necid (58) and Milos Krasic (66) to take the win and keep their own hopes alive.

Atletico Madrid remained a point ahead in the chase for a consolation Europa League spot as they drew 1-1 with fellow Group D strugglers APOEL at the GSP Stadium.

The draw was the Spaniards’ third in five games in the group, with their hosts lagging a point behind.

The Cypriots led through Nektarios Alexandrou’s strike for almost an hour but rarely looked like adding to their total, and it was no surprise when Simao levelled the scores just after the hour mark.