Spanish giants Real Madrid took 81 minutes to overcome French club Auxerre in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Argentine winger Angel Di Maria was the man to give Real a deserved win when he struck home a volley from a Mesut Ozil cross, delighting manager Jose Mourinho.

"It was a good match all-in-all," he told the club's official website. "It was tough playing a well-organized adversary that fell back to defend and that created a lot of danger on the counterattack. It wasn't easy because we wanted to control the match as well as defend against the counter. Winning this match and earning our sixth point are all that count."

UEFA Champions League Group GAJ Auxerre (FRA): 0 Real Madrid (ESP): 1 (Angel Di Maria 81') Venue: Stade Abbe-Deschamps, AuxerreCrowd: approx. 23,000 Referee: Claus Bo Larsen Yellow cards:AUX - Ireneusz Jelen 76', Alain Traore 83' RM - Cristiano Ronaldo 39', Sergio Ramos 60', Lassana Diarra 67'

Starting Line-Ups

AUX Olivier Sorin (gk), Stephane Grichting, Adama Coulibaly, Dariusz Dudka, Cedric Hengbart, Delvin Ndinga, Benoit Pedretti, Dennis Oliech, Kamel Chafni (Quercia 88'), Steven Langil (Traore 78'), Roy Contout (Jelen 45')

Subs - Remy Riou (gk), Jeremy Berthod, Valter Birsa, Ireneusz Jelen (45'), Alain Traore (78'), Julien Quercia (88') Frederic Sammaritano

RM Iker Casillas (gk), Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo, Alvaro Arbeloa, Lassana Diarra (Di Maria 73'), Sami Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema (Ozil 58'), Gonzalo Higuain (M.Diarra 86')

Subs - Jerzy Dudek (gk), Mahamadou Diarra (86'), Mesut Ozil (58'), Esteban Granero, Angel Di Maria (73'), Mateos, Juan Carlos