MADRID, Sept. 27 -- Real Madrid achieved a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Ajax in the second of their Champions League group games on Tuesday night.
The trident of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema was decisive as the Spaniards overcame a slow start to eventually run out easy winners against a team that worked hard, but which simply was not as good.
The game kicked off with both sides playing a tactical game and Ajax pushing their defensive line forward into the middle of the pitch.
The move surprised Real Madrid and neither side was able to gain an advantage until after 25 minutes, when Ronaldo opened the scoring following a textbook counterattack.
Mesut Ozil and Kaka were both involved as Real Madrid cut through the spaces left by the Ajax defense, leaving Ronaldo to sidefoot home from inside the penalty area.
Kaka doubled the lead four minutes from halftime. The Brazilian was enjoying his best game of the season and was given room to pick his spot from the edge of the area as Real Madrid again caught Ajax flatfooted.
Any chance the Dutch side had of getting back into the game evaporated four minutes into the second half when Benzema made it 3-0. Kaka was again the provider.
The bad news for Real Madrid in a dull second half came 15 minutes from time when the French striker appeared to suffer a groin strain and was replaced by Gonzalo Higuain.
Hamit Altintop replaced Mesut Ozil in the closing minutes of the game, the Turk was making his first appearance for the club after joining from Bayern Munich in the summer and suffering a back injury.