Real Madrid 7 Celta Vigo 1: Cristiano Ronaldo’s four-goal romp too late for title hopes

The Portuguese forward's four goals made him the second highest aggregate scorer in La Liga, behind his rival Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his goal with team-mates (Getty Images)

Anything you can do... two days after Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in Barcelona’s 5-1 win at Rayo Vallecano, Cristiano Ronaldo scored four second-half goals as Real Madrid thrashed Celta Vigo 7-1.

Ronaldo’s display will have done little for Real’s negligible title hopes but it made him the second highest aggregate scorer in La Liga, behind his Argentinian rival, with 252 career goals, surpassing Telmo Zarra’s mark of 251 goals from 1955. That stood as a record until Messi, whose tally is 305, passed it in 2014.

After Pepe put third-placed Real ahead before half-time, Ronaldo scored from long range five minutes after the break, added another from a free-kick, tapped in a cross for his hat‑trick and headed home a corner kick.

Jese Rodriguez and Gareth Bale, returning as a substitute after his injury lay-off, completed the demolition for Madrid.

Ronaldo passed Barcelona’s Luis Suarez as the league’s top scorer for the season. Ronaldo has 27 goals to 25 for Suarez, who has a chance to reclaim the advantage when the leaders, who are nine points ahead of Real, play at Eibar today. Second-place Atletico, who won at Real last Saturday, visit Valencia.

Paris St-Germain, who play Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League tie on Wednesday, were held to a 0-0 by Montpellier in Ligue 1. VPSG, who played a weakened team, have all but secured a fourth successive title.

Borussia Dortmund, who play Tottenham in the Europa Leaue on Thursday, stayed five points behind Bayern Munich in second place in the Bundesliga by drawing 0-0 with the leaders.