Real Madrid reached the Champions League last 16 and eased the pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane with a 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.
Karim Benzema netted two first-half headers to settle the contest in the Spanish capital, which Madrid had to win to make certain they did not crash out at the group stage of the competition for the first time.
Gladbach slipped into second spot in Group B with their defeat, but Inter s draw with Shakhtar Donetsk means the Bundesliga side join Los Blancos in the next round.
This was billed as a must-win contest not only for the 13-time European champions hopes of competing for the trophy, but also for Zidane, whose future came under intense scrutiny after last week s loss to Shakhtar.
There was a clear response t…