Cristiano Ronaldo struck a last-minute winner to settle an absorbing Uefa Champions League contest as Spanish champions Real Madrid beat their English counterparts Manchester City 3-2 in the Santiago Bernabeu.

Defeat was cruel on the visitors who looked set to end Madrid's remarkable record of never having lost an opening match at home in the Champions League and its forerunner, the European Cup, as City led 2-1 with three minutes left to play.

Yet the Old Masters of Europe, who won the inaugural tournament in 1956 and whose tally of nine titles is unsurpassed, displayed all their experience as they finally sunk a team whose continental ambitions are being propelled by the wealth of Abu Dhabi-based owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Despite an injection of over $2 billion into the club in the last four years and taking the lead through substitute Edin Dzeko after 68 minutes, the Premier League side came away empty handed.
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After 76 minutes, Brazilian left back Marcelo equalized as his shot from the edge of the penalty area deflected off former Real Madrid player Javi Garcia before flying past City goalkeeper Joe Hart.

The visitors thought they had won the game five minutes from time as a well struck free kick from Aleksandar Kolarov evaded a number of bodies in the box before creeping inside the far post.

Madrid -- whose manager Jose Mourinho had publicly questioned his players' commitment before the match after the team's poor start to the Spanish league -- had other ideas as Karim Benzema fired home a fine goal before Ronaldo's last minute strike somehow evaded both Hart and his centre back Vincent Kompany.