Real Madrid run riot against Celta

Second half lift

Real Madrid gave themselves a massive boost to their confidence with a convincing performance against sixth-placed RC Celta especially with the return to Champions League football on the horizon and Tuesday’s visit of AS Roma. Coach Zinedine Zidane must take some of the credit for a turnaround at halftime, with Real Madrid really turning it on in the second half at the Bernabeu.

Changes for Madrid

Youngster Borja Mayoral was leading the line again, Casemiro and Lucas Vazquez returned in midfield, while Pepe was back in the heart of the defence and it was the Portuguese defender who broke the deadlock heading in at a corner just before the break.

Valient Celta

The visitors had hit the crossbar through Iago Aspas early on and caused Madrid plenty of problems in the first half as Eduardo Berizzo’s men matched the hosts. Goalkeeper Ruben Blanco, however, kept them in the game blocking efforts from Cristiano Ronaldo and Isco before the break, but he could do little as Los Blancos cut loose after halftime. Aspas pulled one back for Celta to make it 3-1 with a neat lob over Keylor Navas in the 62nd minute, but they rarely threatened from then on.

.@Cristiano salutes the Bernabéu crowd after scoring his fourth goal of the match!#RMLiga #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/qVV1by71bR

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) March 5, 2016

 

 

Ronaldo hits four

Cristiano Ronaldo smashed in a long-range effort just under the bar to set the ball rolling and Celta were suddenly on the back foot. A few minutes later, Madrid won a freekick 25 metres out and Ronaldo hammered in his second. He almost repeated the feat from a similar position soon after, but completed his hat-trick in the 65th minute tapping in from close range a low cross from Isco. He headed in a fourth at a corner, taking Ronaldo one past Telmo Zarra’s tally of 251, to become the second highest scorer in the history of the Liga BBVA.

81' GOOOOOOOOOAL by @GarethBale11!!! | Real Madrid 7-1 Celta#RMLiga #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/04lCfoWu47

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) March 5, 2016

Jese and Bale

Substitute Jese fashioned his own opening to fire in the sixth, and then Gareth Bale, returning to the field of play for the first time since mid-January, made it seven. The Welshman had only been on the pitch 15 minutes when he struck a low shot in off the far post to move on to 14 Liga BBVA goals for the season. It was his sixth in his last four games played.