Improving Real will qualify from tight group, says coach

Real Madrid believe they will qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League after recording their second win in a row with an edgy 1-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev.

The nine-times European champions, who bounced back from a 3-0 defeat away to Bayer Leverkusen with a memorable 4-2 comeback win over AS Roma last month, claimed victory over the group leaders thanks to a well taken strike from Michael Owen on Tuesday.

The England forward notched his first goal since joining the club from Liverpool for 12 million euros ($15.10 million) in August when he turned in a low cross from Ronaldo 10 minutes before halftime.

"I think Dynamo are the strongest of all the teams we have played but I am sure we will keep on improving," coach Mariano Garcia Remon said.

"We will end up qualifying from what is a very difficult group, but we will have to fight until the very end because all three sides have the same chance of making it through."

The result means that Dynamo, Real and Leverkusen, who came from a goal down to beat Roma 3-1 at home, all have six points at the top of Group B.

"We have achieved our aim of winning our two home games following our defeat in Leverkusen," Real's sporting director Emilio Butragueno said. "But we now have to make sure we win in Ukraine if at all possible."

"We know that will be very difficult because they are a great team. They are a courageous, daring, quick and dangerous side."

Real face the Ukraine champions again on November 3.

Owen said scoring his first goal in seven appearances for the Spanish club had taken a weight off his shoulders.

"It settled me right down," he said. "I have been waiting for that moment since I came here. The one thing I have been lacking was a goal and it was a relief to get off the mark."

"The club president (Florentino Perez) came into the dressing room at the end of the game, shook my hand and said 'let that be the first of many'".