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AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic (C) and Clarence Seedorf (R) celebrate a goal against Ajax Amsterdam...
A flash of inspiration from Angel di Maria gave Real Madrid a Champions League win over Auxerre but a similar show of class from Zlatan Ibrahimovic was only enough for AC Milan to draw at Ajax Amsterdam on Tuesday.Just when it seemed Real were about to write another chapter of the strange saga of their misfiring forwards, Di Maria came off the bench and seven minutes later volleyed home the only goal for the nine-times European champions in the 81st minute.
Group G rivals Milan fell behind before Ibrahimovic popped up to score against his former club Ajax Amsterdam and give the Italians a 1-1 draw.
Bayern Munich, last season's runners-up, were also behind at Basel in Group E before a second-half double from Bastian Schweinsteiger, including a controversial penalty, saw them scrape a 2-1 victory.
Roma won by the same scoreline at home to CFR Cluj in the other Group E game while there were more comfortable wins for English rivals Chelsea and Arsenal, as well as Spartak Moscow and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Chelsea scored twice in the first half to set up an easy 2-0 win at home to Olympique Marseille in Group F, where earlier Spartak had beaten Zilina 3-0.
Arsenal were shaky at the back at times against Partizan Belgrade in Group H but came away with a 3-1 win -- making it nine goals in two games after their 6-0 win over Braga.
Jose Mourinho must have been the most relieved coach of the night after Di Maria's late strike spared a further inquest into just why his Real Madrid forwards are struggling so much in front of goal.
Real were roundly criticised again for a goalless draw against Levante on Saturday and despite the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema in the starting line-up this was headed the same way.
The entrance of Mesut Ozil and Di Maria gave them fresh impetus, however, and just as another embarrassing goalless draw was looming Argentine Di Maria chested the ball down in the area before volleying into the corner.
Real top the group with six points, with Milan second on four, Ajax with one and Auxerre still without a point.
Bayern also have maximum points in Group E after Schweinsteiger's late heroics, while Chelsea and Spartak are making all the running in Group F with six points apiece, Marseille and Zilina having yet to register.
Arsenal have six points in Group H along with Shakhtar after they beat woeful Braga 3-0.
(Editing by Jon Bramley; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
(For more news visit Reuters India)
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