Real Madrid avoid Champions League crisis with 1-0 win at Galatasaray

Real Madrid averted a potential Champions League crisis with a vital and somewhat nervy 1-0 win away to Galatasaray on Tuesday night.

A deflected first-half effort from Toni Kroos proved to be enough to separate the two teams and saw Zinedine Zidane’s side move from bottom to second place in Group A with three matches played.

It was a must-win game for Zidane as the Frenchman faced questions over his future in Monday’s pre-match press conference and Los Blancos the possibility of a first ever group-stage exit after picking up just one point from their opening two fixtures in the competition.

Madrid started better than the hosts, but could have gone behind twice in the space of a few of minutes as Thibaut Courtois made successive saves to deny Florin Andone.

The Romanian striker was clean through after nine minutes and hit a low shot which the Belgian, under fire for his performances in recent weeks, did brilliantly to push wide.

And four minutes later, the former Chelsea goalkeeper got down to his left to parry another Andone effort after the forward had got in behind the Madrid defence in a well-worked Galatasaray free-kick.

Zidane’s side then took the lead as Hazard played a one-two with Benzema, took up the return ball in the area and looked to be in a good position to beat Fernando Muslera. But the Belgian opted to send a pass back for Kroos, whose shot was deflected into the corner from just inside the area after 18 minutes.

Courtois made another key intervention eight minutes before the interval as he pushed away a low shot from Younes Belhanda, later booed by his own fans as he was substituted in the second half.

Galatasaray’s play was somewhat disjointed throughout, but Madrid rarely looked like getting the second goal to make the result safe.

It should have come through Hazard after 64 minutes as the Belgian rounded Muslera on the right side of the area, but blasted his shot against the crossbar with the goalkeeper grounded.

Benzema had a couple of tame efforts later in the game, but there were not many clear chances and Galatasaray continued to push until the end, coming close to a late leveller as Steven N’Zonzi rose from a corner to head just over the crossbar.

Madrid’s win takes them up to second place with four points, with Paris Saint-Germain clear with an unblemished record at the top after thrashing Club Brugge 5-0 away from home.

The Belgians have two points, while Galatasaray remain bottom with just one point from their three matches.