Real stay on course with 3-1 win over Milan

A classy double from Raul and a late strike from substitute Guti helped Real Madrid to a 3-1 win over already-qualified AC Milan on Wednesday to take them a step closer to a place in the last eight of the Champions League.

Raul fired in at the near post after a fine assist from Ronaldo to put Real ahead on 12 minutes and added a superb individual effort early in the second half to bring his total of goals in the Champions League to 41.

The Serie A side, who had already qualified as group winners, gave the European champions a late scare when former Barcelona player Rivaldo pulled a goal back, heading in a Paulo Maldini cross eight minutes from time.

But Guti made certain of a vital win four minutes later when he prodded in from close range after Zinedine Zidane and Raul had combined to prise open the Milan defence once more.

The result leaves Real in second place in Group C with eight points, one ahead of Borussia Dortmund who won 3-0 at home against Lokomotiv Moscow on Wednesday.

Real will need to win their final match in Moscow or replicate whatever the German side do in their away match in Milan to ensure they make the quarter-finals.

Real's first chance came on 10 minutes when Brazilian midfielder Flavio Conceicao fired off a powerful drive from the edge of the area after good work by Zidane and Roberto Carlos on the left.

But only two minutes later Real grabbed the lead with another beautifully crafted move.

Roberto Carlos prodded the ball to Ronaldo, who was lurking just inside the area, and the Real striker touched the ball into the path of team mate Raul who beat keeper Christian Abbiati at the near post with his stinging left-foot shot.

The goal, which was the first that Milan had conceded in the second phase of the competition, brought Raul's tally of goals in the Champions League to a round 40.

Milan, who had already booked their passage as group winners, found it difficult to respond and although they strung several neat passing moves together in the midfield they rarely threatened the Real goal.

The more motivated Real dominated possession and continued to pin Milan back in their own area and could have extended their lead before the half was out.

Ronaldo, who had to pass a late fitness test before he was cleared to play, raced past defenders Alessandro Costacurta and Martin Laursen on 24 minutes and was only denied a goal when Abbiati produced a fine full-stretch save to turn his shot round the post.

The only negative note of the first half for Real was a 37th-minute booking for Roberto Carlos, which means that the Brazilian international will miss Real's final group match against Lokomotiv Moscow.

Real continued to dominate after the break and once again it was Raul who was responsible for turning their pressure into a goal.

Latching on to a pass on the edge of the area the Real striker dragged the ball past former team mate Fernando Redondo then fired high into the net to make it 2-0.

Milan gave Real a few nervous moments when Rivaldo pulled one back with his header, but Guti, who had come on midway through the second half for Ronaldo, made sure of the win when he prodded in four minutes from time.

Zidane dashed towards the byline, exchanged passes with Raul and shot towards goal and the waiting Guti finished off from a metre out.