Madrid down Roma as Ronaldo scores 40th goal of season

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 40th goal of the season as Real Madrid reached the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-0 aggregate victory over Roma.

Leading 2-0 from the first leg, Real peppered the visitors’ goal, although Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah wasted chances for Roma at the Bernabeu.

It proved costly as Ronaldo crashed in at the near post before setting up James Rodriguez 

for an angled finish.

Roma hit the post but Real made the last eight for a sixth successive term.

With Zinedine Zidane’s team 12 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, and disqualified from the Copa Del Rey, winning the Champions League remains their only realistic chance of silverware.

And although the 10-times winners impressed in attack, their casual approach to defence, particularly from left-back Marcelo, will give 

more potent teams hope.

Roma will now return to Serie A, where they lie third, after winning their last seven successive league games.

Ronaldo bags his 40th goal of the season

Ronaldo settles Bernabeu nerves

Strangely for a game where Real wracked up 37 shots, Roma had the better opportunities and could have changed the mood inside the Bernabeu if Salah and Dzeko were more clinical.

Ronaldo did miss a great chance to double his lead, but having been out of favour with Real fans after his seemingly critical comments about team-mates following the 1-0 defeat by 

Atletico Madrid on 27 February, he proved his value once again.