Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos (right) takes a shot past Bate's Aleksandr Yurevich during a Group H Champions League match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid yesterday. - ap

madrid, spain (ap)

Sergio Ramos and Ruud van Nistelrooy scored yesterday to lead Real Madrid over 10-man BATE Borisov 2-0 in Group H of the Champions League.

Ramos struck in the 11th minute off a pass from José Maria 'Guti' Gutierrez before Van Nistelrooy scored his 54th goal from 69 European Cup games in the 57th minute.

"Without a doubt, we came into the game hoping for a bigger scoreline. I think that's what we were missing today," coach Bernd Schuster said. "It was a good victory but it was obligatory to score more goals."

The Belarussians' task was made nearly impossible in the 63rd when defender Anri Khagush was sent off for a second yellow card.

Madrid, a record nine-time European champion, didn't allow BATE a shot on the goal in the second half, but failed to increase the scoreline despite registering 27 shots. BATE goalkeeper Sergei Veremko stopped substitute Gonzalo Higuain and Rafael van der Vaart from close.

Madrid has three points alongside Juventus, which beat Zenit St Petersburg 1-0 in the other Group H game.

Schuster said a victory in the next match at Zenit could give the Spanish club a big step towards making the knockout stage.

"The next game already holds a lot of importance for Zenit and already, we have a chance to take an important step after two games," the German coach said.

A minute's silence was observed for Heinz Fahnler before kick-off, after the UEFA official and former referee died yesterday at age 66.

MAN U HELD TO DRAW

Manchester United were held 0-0 by Villarreal in a frustrating start to their Champions League defence that even the return of Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't energise.

Villarreal was the last team to deny the Red Devils a European victory at Old Trafford - in November 2005 - and yesterday ended their 12-match winning streak in the competition.

Ronaldo's return from ankle surgery in the final half-hour injected vitality and pace, but couldn't produce a winner.

The Portuguese winger nodded wide from Nani's cross in the 81st minute and, a minute later, provided a deep cross that beat goalkeeper Diego Lopez, but Jonny Evans headed against the post.

It was 120 days since Ronaldo's last club appearance in the penalty-shoot-out victory over Chelsea.

"Viva Ronaldo"

Not that the Portugal winger wanted to be here, having used the weeks after the Moscow final to push for a move to Real Madrid, until Alex Ferguson bluntly told him two months ago it wouldn't be sanctioned.

But he didn't look like a player being retained against his will and the fans gave him a rapturous reception, roaring "Viva Ronaldo".

"It was important to Cristiano," Ferguson said. "I think he now realises what a great club he is at, how loyal and supportive they are to him, and he will take great encouragement from that."

Villarreal was without injured strikers Nihat Kahveci and Giuseppe Rossi.

"The second half was much better, enjoying more possession of the ball," Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini said. "We got forward and close to the opposing goal more.

"But with limited choices up front, with players out of contention, we were relying on Guillermo Franco."

LYON DRAW WITH FIORENTINA

Lyon drew with Fiorentina 2-2 in their Champions League opener. Italian international Alberto Gilardino scored two first-half goals to put Fiorentina in the driving seat, but Lyon came back strongly in the second half with goals from Frederic Piquionne and Karim Benzema to tie the opening Group F game.

Lyon's poor defending allowed Gilardino to score with two headers from right-wing crosses in the first half, but Piquionne pulled a goal back in the 73rd minute on a pass from Benzema, who then equalised in the 86th.

"We managed to come back from two goals that we conceded in a naive way," Lyon coach Claude Puel said. "We had a lot of trouble in the first half, getting our game together, and in the future we will have to stop conceding goals like this."