Real Madrid have booked their place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League for a 20th consecutive season courtesy of a 2-1 win over 10-man Sporting Lisbon at the Jose Alvalade Stadium this evening.
Sporting needed a win to remain in with a chance of reaching the last 16, but Karim Benzema's late header condemned them to defeat after Adrien Silva had earlier cancelled out Raphael Varane's opener.
Madrid began the match trailing Group F leaders Borussia Dortmund by two points, but while the goals flew in during the German outfit's match against Legia Warsaw - seven in the first 32 minutes - both Los Blancos and Sporting struggled to join in the goal rush.
The hosts failed to make the most of a couple of promising attacking platforms early on, while Madrid's only effort was a snapshot by Cristiano Ronaldo that was easily collected before it could trickle behind for a goal kick.
Ronaldo would go on to have a quiet return to his first professional club, leaving him still two goals short of becoming the first player to reach 100 in European competition.
The first genuine chance provided the first goal as Real Madrid broke the deadlock shortly before the half-hour mark when Ronaldo's mis-hit effort from a free kick rolled into the path of Varane, who swept home from close range while the Sporting defenders appealed in vain for an offside flag.
The hosts, who went into the match knowing that they needed maximum points from their last two games in the group to stand any chance of reaching the knockout rounds, responded with their first chance moments later, but Bruno Cesar's toe-poke was brilliantly turned behind by Sergio Ramos.
Marcelo then dragged a tame right-footed effort wide of the target at the other end before Sporting came close once more, this time Cesar curling a free kick narrowly wide from a difficult angle.
Sporting's failure to make the most of good positions continued into the second half, with Gelson Martins missing the chance to pick out a teammate in the middle twice in the space of five minutes.
The hosts' hopes of getting the two goals they needed to stay in the competition looked even bleaker shortly after the hour mark when they were reduced to 10 men, with Joao Pereira being shown a straight red card following an off-the-ball altercation with Mateo Kovacic.
However, Sporting gave themselves a lifeline with just 10 minutes remaining when Silva fired home from the spot following a bizarre handball incident involving Fabio Coentrao. The full-back - already the villain of the piece from his Benfica days - had his arms raised while calling for a handball to be given against Joel Campbell, only to then see the Arsenal loanee's flick strike him on the arm.
Campbell came close himself as Sporting went in search of a winner, picking up a loose ball on the left flank before cutting inside only to scuff a tame strike straight into the arms of the keeper.
The chances continued to arrive late on, with Lucas Vazquez slicing a half-volley wide at the back post before Campbell failed to get enough power or direction on his header at the back post at the other end.
Madrid finally put the game to bed with three minutes remaining of normal time, though, as Benzema latched on to a cross from Ramos and glanced his header past Rui Patricio into the bottom corner.
The result means that the final group game between Madrid and Dortmund will be a straight shootout for top spot in Group F, with the Spanish outfit needing a win at the Bernabeu to leapfrog Thomas Tuchel's side.
Madrid are now unbeaten in 30 matches in all competitions, although they are still yet to keep a clean sheet in this season's Champions League.
Sporting, meanwhile, must now turn their attention to beating Legia Warsaw to third in Group F and know that a draw against the Poles on matchday six would seal a Europa League berth after Christmas.
Barney Corkhill
