Real Madrid 3-0 Celta: Ronaldo dedicates Brace to great Eusebio

A second-half double from Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid kick off the new year with a 3-0 win at home to Celta.

Real Madrid started the year on the right foot. The Whites earned three important points and kept a clean sheet against Celta Vigo in their first official match of 2014. The landslide victory was constructed in the second half. Jesé’s introduction changed the course of the last home match of the first half of the league season. It was the former academy player that created the opening for Benzema to score the opener. From that point on, Cristiano Ronaldo took centre stage, scored a brace that puts him at the top of the standings for the Pichichi Trophy and showed again why he deserves the Ballon d'Or.
Celta had wasted a number of chances before Karim Benzema capitalised on shoddy defending by prodding home.
Ronaldo, who had been largely anonymous, made sure of victory by converting Daniel Carvajal's cross.
Then, in the dying seconds, Ronaldo added gloss to the scoreline following a cross from Gareth Bale.
Bale, a 65th-minute substitute, found the former Manchester United man in space and he thumped the ball into the roof of the net.

Video: Real Madrid vs Celta 3-0 (6.1.2014 La liga)

Ronaldo's brace, which made him the fourth highest scorer for Real Madrid in La Liga history, masked what had been a pedestrian performance by a Real side who are now five points adrift of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in third.

The 28-year-old, who is on a three-man shortlist for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award, has now scored 400 goals in 653 games for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real and Portugal.
A minute's silence was held before kick-off in memory of Portuguese great Eusebio, who died aged 71 from a heart attack at the weekend.

Ronaldo seemed to pay his own tribute to his much-loved compatriot by raising his arms to the sky after his second landmark goal. It was not Ronaldo's most polished performance, but he still managed to help Real clinch a handsome win.

Celta will look back and regret a number of missed opportunities, with Brazilian Charles the main culprit.
The striker hit the side netting early on and fluffed another chance after the break, shooting wide with just Diego Lopez to beat.

Moments later, the visitors paid the price for their profligacy when Benzema took advantage of a defensive mix-up to stab the ball home. The goal lifted Real's spirits, with Ronaldo dragging a shot across goal before he found the target moments later with a toe-poke at the far post.

Celta's threat diminished from there on and once again they failed to contain Ronaldo as he struck his 28th club goal this season and his 230th in total for Real.

Bale, who returned to training last week after recovering from a calf injury, was the provider, with the Welshman making another telling contribution for his new club.