CRISTIANO RONALDO sparkled as Real Madrid, which had already sealed a place in the last 16 of the Champions League, clinched top spot in Group A with a remarkable 4-3 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.

    Ronaldo scored after 18 and 70 minutes while Luka Modric and Dani Carvajal also struck to put the 10-time 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.

    Brazilian midfielder Alex Teixeira converted a penalty after 77 minutes before Dentinho chested the ball into the net from a corner.

    Teixeira was again on target with an elegant drive in the 88th minute as the hosts gave Real a huge fright.

    Real has 13 points from five matches, three ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, which also qualified by beating Malmo 5-0 in Sweden.

    PSG issure to finish second because the side has an inferior head to head record against Real. Shakhtar and Malmo both have three points and are eliminated.

    Ronaldo opened the scoring with a header and grabbed his second goal of the night on the rebound after his initial attempt was blocked by a defender.

    The Portugal forward also played a part in the other two goals by the visitors before Shakhtar came storming back as Real conceded its first goals in this year’s competition.

    “Both teams have strong attacking instincts and this is why we saw so many goals tonight,” said Real coach Rafa Benitez.

    “I think we should analyze all the goals we conceded but I am sure it is not due to the mistakes of our defenders, it is because Shakhtar’s players combined so well.

    “Sometimes we lack concentration but more important is that we scored four goals in an away game. It may be an indication of the team’s revival,” added Benitez who came under fire after Real was thumped 4-0 by La Liga rival Barcelona on Saturday.

    Taison was involved in two of Shakhtar’s goals and coach Mircea Lucescu said his side sparked into life when the Brazilian midfielder came on as a 62nd-minute substitute.

    “The final 20 minutes were the most positive moments. I think our team only woke up after Taison went on,” said Lucescu.

    Elsewhere, last season’s beaten finalist Juventus joined Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Benfica in clinching qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League with one round of group games to spare Wednesday.

    Mario Mandzukic turned in Alex Sandro’s cross to give Juve a 1-0 win over Manchester City in Turin and ensure that the Italian champions joined City in qualifying from Group D.

    City had already secured its progress before the game but the defeat leaves the side two points behind Juventus with one match remaining and therefore staring at the prospect of finishing second in the group and facing a tougher last-16 draw.

    “Hats off to the lads, they’ve gifted me qualification with a game to spare,” said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.

    As it happened, Juve would have been through regardless of their result because Sevilla lost 4-2 to Borussia Moenchengladbach in Germany.

    Lars Stindl scored twice for Gladbach either side of a brilliant Fabian Johnson goal and a Raffael strike with Vitolo and Ever Banega, from a penalty, replying for Sevilla.

    Sevilla, Europa League winners in each of the last two seasons, now must beat Juve in their final game and hope Gladbach don’t defeat City just to claim the consolation of dropping into the secondary competition.

    Zlatan Ibrahimovic captained PSG as he returned to face Malmo, his hometown team and the club where his glittering career began, and he was among the scorers in a 5-0 romp that took the French champions through from Group A.

    Adrien Rabiot and Angel Di Maria netted in the first half before Ibrahimovic finished past Johan Wiland early in the second period.(SD-Agencies)