Real Madrid 7-1 Celta Vigo: 5 Talking Points

Real Madrid contrasted a lacklustre first half performance with an absolutely belligerent display of attacking football in the second half to thrash Celta Vigo 7-1 and warm up in style for their Champions League Round of 16 clash against Roma on Tuesday. After large periods of Celta Vigo domination in the opening 40 minutes, Real undeservingly went ahead via a Pepe header from an Isco corner. The second half was all about Real’s golden boy Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted 4 times in 26 minutes to ease any nerves across the Real Madrid camp. A long-range shot, followed by a direct free-kick, a tap-in and a header made it a perfect day for the Portuguese. Gareth Bale found the net on return from injury while fellow substitute Jese Rodriguez also managed to score from a neat finish to complete the rout. Iago Aspas scored a consolation goal for Celta.We look at the 5 talking points that shaped up an ultimately one-sided contest at the Bernabeu:

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo changes the atmosphere at the Bernabeu

With the La Liga title all but gone from Real’s grasp, it was absolutely no surprise to see an insipid atmosphere inside the Santiago Bernabeu. Real’s anthem was sung with subdued passion before the game, fans booed their side every time they gave away possession and the half-time whistle was met with loud groans of frustration – despite the one goal advantage.

It was an uninspiring first-half performance from Los Blancos. A section of fans even unfurled a banner calling for president Fiorentino Perez to resign, while another group urged Real to show some more desire on the field by quoting Alfredo di Stefano’s famous retort to Real team-mate Amancio Amaro – ‘to wear this badge, you must sweat the shirt’.

All that, however, would change in the second half. 6 second half goals for Real, including 4 from their star man Cristiano Ronaldo in the space of 26 minutes, lifted the sombre mood from the Bernabeu and sent the fans home with smiles on their faces. Even though Los Blancos now remain 9 points off Barcelona in the La Liga summit, the second half performance at least showed that Real Madrid still has the urge to take the attack to the opposition, something that looked apparently absent in recent games.

#2 Sweeping changes to Real Madrid starting line-up

With the Champions League being Real’s only hope of winning a major trophy, it was hardly nonplussing to see Zidane field a second string starting line-up for the game. An XI missing Marcelo, Raphael Varane, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and James Rodrguez made it evident that Zizou was keeping his side’s second leg clash against AS Roma on Tuesday his main priority.

18-year old Borja Mayoral was rewarded for his dynamic performance in midweek with a place up front. The changes were more than justified thanks to a brilliant second half display which saw Celta Vigo taken to the cleaners.

#3 Celta Vigo rue missed chances in the first half

Celta Vigo took full advantage of the thin atmosphere across the Bernabeu by starting the game in full steam. They took the attack to a suspect Real Madrid defence missing Varane and Marcelo – creating a plethora of chances and keeping goalkeeper Keylor Navas on his toes.

They will, however, rue missing their opportunities to find the back of the net and put their opponents on the backfoot. The best chance fell to former Liverpool man Iago Aspas, who smashed a free header against a crossbar. Defensively too, they were well drilled, not allowing the front 3 of Ronaldo, Borja and Lucas Vazquez to make any inroads.

Their failure to convert their domination into goals proved to be very costly indeed, as they shipped 6 goals in the second half with a tiring defence to resign themselves to the sheer quality of the opposition.

#4 Gareth Bale makes a successful return from injury

The major talking point of Real Madrid’s squad was Welshman Gareth Bale’s return from a month-and-a-half layoff from injury. The 26-year old, who hadn’t featured since injuring his calf on 17 January, replaced Isco in the 65th minute and immediately was in the thick of things.

He made continuous approaches into the Celta penalty box from the left and looked sharp with his passing as well. He rewarded his 25-minute display with a well-struck goal in the 81st minute – Real’s seventh – after a number of Celta defenders decided to stand off him rather than commit to a tackle.

#5 Casemiro confidently dictates play from midfield

With experienced duo Luka Modric and Toni Kroos both out of the Matchday squad, it was an opportunity for young Casemiro to show his manager whether he was capable of dictating Real Madrid’s attacks from a defensive midfield position. He didn’t disappoint, completing 96% of his passes (including 100% long ball success) and committing himself to 4 tackles to stop the Celta attackers on their bikes.

His assured presence in the middle of the pitch was the backbone behind Real Madrid’s superior performance in the second half. With this performance, the 24-year old Brazilian may well have succeeded in his bid to earn a starting place in Tuesday’s Champions League clash with AS Roma.