Real Madrid's Karim Benzema is engulfed after scoring [AFP]

Karim Benzema gave Madrid the lead when he beat goalkeeper Dida in the 29th minute, but Ronaldinho leveled for Milan with a penalty kick in the 35th.

The game matched the intensity of the teams' first meeting at the Santiago
Bernabeu two weeks ago, won 3-2 by Milan.

But there was a joint lack of composure when attacking after the halftime break to leave both defences firmly in control.

Both teams have seven points in Group C, one more than Marseille, which thrashed FC Zurich 6-1 in the other game. Zurich has three points.

"I want to talk about how we played in the first half and our attitude,'' Pellegrini said.

"Only Alexandre Pato had a chance for Milan in the first half, but in the second half Milan's style made life difficult for us.

"In the second half, we held the ball better and by the end I would say we deserved the three points.''

Madrid dominated possession in the opening 20 minutes, with Sergio Ramos and Benzema both hitting low drives narrowly wide.

Milan finally came into the match in the 23rd. Clarence Seedorf led a counter attack and slipped the ball to Pato, who cut inside Raul Albiol but had his shot smothered by Iker Casillas after the goalkeeper had raced off his line.

Kaka was at the heart of the opening goal.

The former Milan midfielder raced through the defence and had a shot from the edge of the area that goalkeeper Dida managed to block, but Benzema was first to the rebound and swept the ball past the Brazilian.

Six minutes later, Milan was level.

Gianluca Zambrotta was pulled down in the box by defender Pepe, and former Barcelona star Ronaldinho hammered in the spot kick.

The hosts thought they were ahead in the 37th. Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo hit a cross-field pass to Pato, who beat Alvaro Arbeloa to the ball in the air and shot past Casillas.

Referee Felix Brych ruled out the goal for hand ball.

Second half action

After halftime, both sides kept up the frenetic approach without creating any clear-cut chances.

However, Milan's Marco Borriello should have hit the target with a header from Pirlo's corner in the 65th.

Milan substitute Filippo Inzaghi nearly won the match for in the 83rd.

But he scooped his shot wide after Pato had found him unmarked at the far post.

"In the first half, they had lots of chances and made it difficult for us,'' Milan coach Leonardo said.

"But in the second half we had a lot more chances, and in particular Inzaghi had an excellent effort.

"If I go on the first half, I would have to say that Real Madrid deserved the win as they played better and created chances. In the second half, I think the match was even. We created a lot of chances and it wouldn't have been wrong if we had won the match.''

In the dying minutes, Dida was twice called upon to stop shots, first from Marcelo and then at close range from substitute Raul Gonzalez.

"I'm happy because I think we played well,'' Pellegrini said. "At least we didn't lose, but we are still on course for finishing top of the group. Normally, I am happy if the result reflects what we did on the field. But tonight definitely didn't reflect what we did.''

Marseille smash six against Zurich

In the groups other match, Marseille trounced FC Zurich 6-1 to keep alive its chances of qualifying for the knockout round of the Champions League.

Marseille has six points from four games in Group C, a point behind AC Milan and Real Madrid. Zurich is last with three points.

Midfielder Silvan Aegerter's own-goal in the third minute put the home side ahead before Fabrice Abriel doubled the lead in the 11th minute with a free kick.

Zurich striker Alexandre Alphonse narrowed the gap in the 31st minute, but Marseille captain Mamadou Niang restored a two-goal lead in the 51st.

Vitorino Hilton, Benoit Cheyrou and Brazilian striker Brandao completed the rout in the last 10 minutes.

With playmaker Lucho Gonzalez sidelined with a hand injury, Marseille coach Didier Deschamps started with Abriel in the midfield while Souleymane Diawara returned from suspension in defence.

Abriel immediately rewarded his coach's confidence with a free kick from the left that was deflected into his own goal by Aegerter.

Zurich, which won 1-0 at AC Milan in September, was handed a further blow when striker Johann Vonlanthen was forced to leave the field five minutes later following a challenge by Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze.

Abriel doubled his team's lead in the 11th with a free kick untouched into the goal although three Marseille players were in an offside position.

Marseille had another clear chance when midfielder Benoit Cheyrou fired an angled shot that forced Zurich goalkeeper Johnny Leoni to a good save in the 17th minute, just before Brazilian forward Brandao, unmarked at the penalty spot, fluffed his shot and sent the ball over the bar.

Marseille, which failed to keep a clean sheet at home since August 30, peppered the box with useless crosses and let their rivals come back in the game following a nice collective move concluded by French striker Alexandre Alphonse, who slotted home with a right-footed shot from the edge of the box past goalkeeper Steve Mandanda in the 31st.

Its confidence boosted, Zurich looked more threatening and Nigerian midfielder Onyekachi Okonkwo nearly silenced the home crowd in the 34th with a 25-metre shot that went just wide.

But Niang gave his team some breathing room after the interval when he latched onto the ball between two defenders and chipped the ball over Leoni following a one-two with Bakary Kone in the 51st minute.

Far from being discouraged, Zurich kept attacking and had a clear chance in the 65th but a last-minute tackle from defender Garry Bocaly stopped Admir Mehmedi, who had eluded Mandada in the box.

Marseille finally tore Zurich apart in the last 10 minutes, with Hilton scoring in the 80th with a low shot from close range following a bad clearance from Zurich's defence.

Cheyrou then slotted home with a superb 30-metre strike in the 87th and Brandao capped his team's scoring with a clinical finish from Niang's cross.