Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 12th Champions League football goal of the season as Real Madrid took a firm grip on their last-16 tie with a 2-0 first leg win at AS Roma.
Cristiano Ronaldo Photo: Photosport
The record 10-times European champions took the game to Roma, but were frustrated in the first half as the hosts kept men behind the ball, while looking to catch Real out on the break.
Ronaldo, however, ended their resistance when he took a fine pass from Marcelo on the left edge of the box and his shot deflected off Alessandro Florenzi and looped over goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny into the net just before the hour mark.
Substitute Jese added the Spanish team's second four minutes from fulltime with a solo run into the box and shot across the face of goal and inside the far post.
Two minutes earlier, Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas came out sharply to save at the feet of Stephan El Shaarawy after one of Roma's fast and dangerous counter-attacks.
Ronaldo might have had a second goal a quarter of an hour from the end but his header at the far post was just wide from James Rodriguez's superb cross.
Karim Benzema then saw his goalbound shot from another James cross hit Lucas Digne in the head.
At the other end, Roma substitute Edin Dzeko hit the side-netting with a header and Real were relieved when the home side were not awarded a penalty after a tackle by Dani Carvajal on Florenzi.
Wolfsburg let in late goals to give Gent hope
Julian Draxler scored twice as VfL Wolfsburg took a tentative step towards reaching the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-2 victory over Gent in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Draxler, who joined from Schalke 04 at the start of the season, struck in the 44th minute after a classy dribble took him past midfielder Thomas Foket before he exchanged passes with Vierinha and tucked the ball beyond keeper Matz Sels.
Gent began the second half much improved, pushing for an equaliser, but Draxler netted again in the 54th minute as he capitalised on one of many errant passes by the home defence.
Max Kruse made it 3-0 with a close-range volley and came close to adding a fourth goal when his shot rebounded off the post.
Sven Kums sparked a late rally by Gent after capping a fine run in the 80th minute by delivering a right-foot drive that beat Koen Casteels at the far post.
Substitute Kalifa Coulibaly then gave Gent hope for next month's second leg when he converted a left-wing cross with a stooping near-post header in the 89th minute.