Real take top spot by thwarting Shakhtar rally

Real Madrid, who had already sealed a place in the last 16 of the Champions League, ensured top spot in Group A with a remarkable 4-3 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. Cristiano Ronaldo scored after 18 and 70 minutes while Luka Modric (50) and Dani Carvajal (52) also struck to put the 10-times European champions in complete command on a freezing night in western Ukraine. The temperature then soared quickly, on the field at least, as Shakhtar netted three times in the closing stages.