Already-qualified Real Madrid did Liverpool a favour this evening by beating Basel 1-0 in Switzerland.
Cristiano Ronaldo's 71st Champions League goal earned Los Blancos a slender win and set up a Group B showdown between Liverpool and Basel at Anfield to see who will join them in the last 16.
The victory was Madrid's 15th on the bounce in all competitions. Below, Sports Mole decides who played starring roles and who failed to stand out at St Jakob-Park this evening.
BASEL
Goal
Tomas Vaclik: Made a couple of smart saves and there was little he could do about the goal. Inconsistent when claiming crosses. (6/10)
Defence
Philipp Degen: Provided a good attacking outlet from right-back in the opening stages until he was pinned back by Real's dominance in possession. (7/10)
Fabian Schar: Highly-rated Swiss international is reportedly being tracked by Arsenal, and there was little more he could do against the quality of the attack he was up against. (6/10)
Marek Suchy: Certainly not afraid to put his foot in and made a couple of crucial interceptions in the second half. (6/10)
Behrang Safari: Difficult to remember him being involved in an attacking sense at all, but Basel held their shape well to initially frustrate Real and he played his part in that. (5/10)
Midfield
Fabian Frei: Always composed on the ball and often started attacks for his side. Did a good job of protecting his defence by leading and orchestrating the press on Real's attacking midfield three. (7/10)
Luca Zuffi: A couple of nice balls here and there. Kept things simple, but more may have been expected of him. Still getting used to this kind of occasion following his summer arrival from FC Thun. (6/10)
Mohamed Elneny: An enthusiastic runner and willing presser, Elneny sometimes got overexcited when carrying the ball forward and made the wrong decision during a number of attacks. (6/10)
Derlis Gonzalez: Aside from some horrible examples of overenthusiastic playacting, Gonzalez was bright, pacey and energetic - typical of the 2014 mould of South American players. Missed a sitter at the back post, but was offside anyway. (7/10)
Shkelzen Gashi: Has 11 goals in all competitions this season, but did not have his shooting boots on tonight as he missed a couple of Basel's best equalising chances. Gets in positions to score goals, though, and will be a threat to Liverpool if he finds his radar. (5/10)
Attack
Breel Embolo: A hugely impressive performance from a 17-year-old striker who gave two of the best centre-backs in Europe an uncomfortable night. Strong, quick and composed, Embolo has attributes that suggest he could go right to the top. (8/10)
Substitutes
Ahmed Hamoudi: By far the liveliest of Basel's substitutes. Had a couple of decent efforts with his left foot which went just off target. (7/10)
Marcelo Diaz: His only notable involvement after coming on for Frei in the final stages was to hack down James. (5/10)
Yoichiro Kakitani: Arrived from Japan with a reputation as a big prospect, but did not get enough time to show it tonight in an eight-minute cameo. (6/10)
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REAL MADRID
Goalkeeper:
Keylor Navas: Pulled off one outstanding save to deny Embolo when it looked for the world as if the teenager was going to get a deserved goal. Also showed some fine footwork when under pressure. (8/10)
Defence
Alvaro Arbeloa: Adopted a high base position as Real's full-backs usually do, but does not have the engine that Dani Carvajal does and sometimes was not quick enough to keep up with Gashi. (6/10)
Raphael Varane: Nothing fazes the 21-year-old. Although he was occasionally outmuscled by Embolo, he was always a calm presence under pressure and brought the ball out well. (6/10)
Sergio Ramos: Looked a complacent figure throughout and was not his usual intense self. No fierce challenges, several poor touches which started Basel attacks. Not his finest night. (5/10)
Fabio Coentrao: The usual story from the Portuguese international, better offensively than defensively, but a decent showing to say that injuries have restricted recent appearances. (6/10)
Midfield
Toni Kroos: Gave the ball away on countless occasions and offered little protection as the deepest of Madrid's midfielders. Rarely has the World Cup winner affected a game less positively. (4/10)
Isco: Having spent plenty of time out of the team last season, the Spaniard is really benefitting from a run in the side. Even in a slightly unfamiliar deeper role, Isco showed plenty of nice touches and did his fair share of running too. A class act. (7/10)
Gareth Bale: Not as influential as usual, but still had his moments. Hit the crossbar in the final 15 minutes. (6/10)
James Rodriguez: A very quiet night for the Colombian, who barely featured in the second half. Sometimes Real counter-attacks pass him by because of the pace of Bale and Ronaldo. (5/10)
Cristiano Ronaldo: Equalled club legend Raul's tally of 71 Champions League goals and now has Lionel Messi (74) in his sights. Clever movement for his goal and combined well with Benzema all night. (8/10)
Attack
Karim Benzema: His role in Madrid's frontline is so often overlooked. A selfless runner and a great link-up player, the Frenchman's work rate creates space for his talented colleagues to thrive in and he did brilliantly to supply Ronaldo with the goal. (8/10)
Substitutes
Asier Illarramendi: Played a really important role coming off the bench. During a period in which Basel were on top and threatening an equaliser, the £32m signing broke up several attacks and helped Madrid keep the ball better. Changed the match. (8/10)
Marcelo: Eventually came on for James on 87 minutes after several false alarms. Just another win in his copybook. (6/10)
Nacho: Came on to provide an extra defensive body and wind down the clock in stoppage time. (6/10)
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