Ronaldo inspires Real Madrid to urge close to La Liga title

Record-breaking Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored two more league goals than Jimmy Greaves, and Real Madrid need just one more point to be crowned La Liga champions.

Ronaldo's double helped his team to a 4-1 win over Celta Vigo, who were reduced to 10 men in the second half when Iago Aspas was shown a second yellow for diving in the penalty area. 

Ronaldo later escaped punishment in a similar incident - a caution would have ruled him out of Real Madrid's last game of the season - but everything is going his way at the moment. 

He scored his first after 10 minutes, taking him to 367 league goals. Nobody has scored more in Europe's top five league – Greaves had the record on 366 before the Real Madrid No 7 passed him.

He got his second three minutes into the second half with a first-time finish from Isco's second assist of the night.

Ronaldo will enjoy his new title as European football's most prolific marksman ever but he'll enjoy what will be only his second league title in Spain just as much. All Madrid have to do now is draw away at Malaga on Sunday.

Ronaldo's run-in has been extraordinary. Persuaded by coach Zinedine Zidane to sit out more games this season he has arrived fresh to the season's climax and has 13 goals in his last eight games.

So much for resting on his laurels after winning Euro 2016 last summer, this looks like being the most successful domestic campaign of his career.

Ronaldo said after the win: 'We still have one game to go and we have to finish well. Malaga are strong at home.

'We only need a point but we will go there to win the game because that is always our attitude.

'I'm feeling good. Thanks to the manager I have held back a bit more this season to be right at the most important part of the season.' 

Asked about the possibility of doing the league and Champions League double, Ronaldo added: 'We are only thinking about the league but after the last game we have 15 days to prepare well for the Champions League.' 

Marcelo bent a 20-yard pass into Isco's path after 10 minutes of sparring with Celta Vigo, who had given Manchester United such a close-run Europa League semi-final second leg last week.  

Isco then rolled the ball across the edge of the penalty area to Ronaldo. Gustavo Cabral committed the cardinal sin of giving him time and space and once he had got the ball out from under his feet he lashed it left-footed past Alvarez.

The net bulged and the Madrid bench erupted, with substitutes mobbing the goalscorer. 

The Madrid coach had been uncharacteristically jumpy during the first 10 minutes but Ronaldo had popped up to calm everybody down. The celebration summed up the mood – a mixture of relief and celebration.

Celta Vigo had started well enough but the goal took the air out of their lungs and their reserves were already low after the Europa League semi-final exploits. 

Aspas chested the ball into the path of John Guidetti but the Swedish striker stumbled on to it and never looked like being able to apply an effective finishing touch.   

Aspas continued to take the fight to Real Madrid. He went close with two shots just wide, while Raphael Varane handled on the edge of the area but escaped punishment. Madrid had eased up after their opener, satisfied with a one-goal lead at half-time.

That easing-up did not last into the second half. Ronaldo scored his second on 48 minutes after Isco wriggled clear of Celta's defenders before releasing the beast who fired, first time, past Alvaraz. Moments earlier Guidetti had taken too many touches at the other end with Celta's first chance of the second half – and Ronaldo had shown him how to do it with Madrid's next attack.

There was more drama to follow when Aspas, who had been booked for protesting in the first half, went down under a challenge from Sergio Ramos in the area. The referee Juan Martinez was right to not give the spot-kick but harsh in judging that Aspas had dived. Out came the second yellow and he was off.

Ronaldo then tripped over his own feet in the Celta area and the referee applied different rules. Aspas had thrown himself down and was off, Martinez had evidently believed Ronaldo had done likewise but his cards stayed in his pocket.

Celta No 2 Ernesto Marcucci was sent from the dug-out and Guidetti earned himself a booking as Balaidos turned on the match official.

He then scored with a shot that Ramos deflected past Keylor Navas but Celta barely had time to celebrate the goal as Benzema scored the third from close range.

Tempers boiled over in the last five minutes as Ramos and Pablo Hernandez clashed and were both booked but Madrid kept their eye on the ball and Kroos cooly slotted in the fourth.  

Credit: Daily Mail