Daniel Parejo's 85th-minute goal gave Real Madrid a barely deserved 2-1 Emirates Cup victory over an impressive Hamburg side in north London.Ruud van Nistelrooy had given the Primera Liga champions the lead against the run of play in the first half but Hamburg deservedly equalised soon after the break through Mohamed Zidan.

Madrid target Rafael van der Vaart was notably absent as his current club took on the Holland midfielder's prospective future employers at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.

And it was Madrid appeared in greatest need of him as they barely had a sight of goal - although they are further behind in their pre-season preparations.

Hamburg are perhaps the least fashionable of the sides in the Emirates Cup, but it was the Bundesliga team who were giving the fans the most entertainment, and it was the Madrid defence that were made to work the hardest.

The match looked anything but a friendly as both teams went at it straight from kick-off.

Hamburg had a good shout for a penalty turned down in the fifth minute when a scything challenge from Miguel Salgado felled Jose Paolo Guerrero but the referee signalled for a corner from which the Germans almost scored.

Guerrero rose up high at the near post but his header flashed across the face of goal.

The Peru striker missed an even better opportunity in the 18th minute as Thimothee Atouba sent a superb cross into the box, only for Guerrero to head over the bar from inside the six-yard box.

Hamburg were made to rue their missed opportunities in the 28th minute when Salgado stole the ball on the right side of the penalty area and set up Van Nistelrooy perfectly with a low ball across the face of goal.

The former Manchester United star, who had been booed all game by the Arsenal fans in the crowd, had the easiest of tap-ins to give the Primera Liga champions the lead.

Hamburg almost equalised immediately but Piotr Trochowski's fierce effort was straight at Jerzy Dudek in the Madrid goal.

Madrid were lucky to take a lead into half-time as Dudek grabbed the ball off the line seconds before Ivica Olic got his foot to it.

Minutes later, Guerrero was a hair's breadth away from levelling the scores when he took the ball round the Madrid keeper only to see his low shot fly agonisingly wide of the right upright.

The second half was less frantic than the first as the rain lashed down.

Moreover, the teams were unable to settle as both coaches rang the changes.

But Hamburg continued to look the more impressive side and finally got their just rewards eight minutes after the break.

Half-time substitute Zidan picked up the ball on the edge of the area and, following a clever turn, let fly with a lovely effort which crashed down over the line off the bar.

They could have been ahead on 70 minutes as Guerrero saw his powerful header stopped somewhat fortuitously by Dudek's legs.

Madrid could have nicked the game with less than 10 minutes to go as Mahamadou Diarra found himself with only the keeper to beat 10 yards out but Frank Rost pulled off a stunning save to deflect it away.

However, he was powerless when, minutes later, Parejo's diving header flew past him into the back of the net after a clever cross by Juan Miguel Callejon to give Madrid a somewhat fortuitous victory.

More Football News from TEAMtalk