Madrid, Mar 5 (EFE; odds by IDSca.com).– Cristiano Ronaldo scored four times in Real Madrid’s 7-1 rout of Celta Vigo here Saturday, a win that serves as a confidence-booster ahead of the Blancos’ upcoming Champions League clash against Roma.

The host squad began threatening the Celta Vigo goal in earnest late in the first half and finally opened the scoring in the 41st minute when Portuguese defender Pepe headed home a perfect corner kick by Isco.

The floodgates then opened early in the second half, when Ronaldo answered some whistles from the crowd by pulling off a spectacular “folha seca” (dry leaf) goal from well outside the area in the 50th minute, with the ball swerving quickly downward after soaring over the head of goalkeeper Ruben Blanco.

The Portuguese super-striker then scored on a free kick eight minutes later, also from outside the area, that thumped into the back of the net with authority to make the score 3-0.

Celta Vigo got its lone goal in the 62nd minute, when Iago Aspas broke free and chipped the ball delicately over Real Madrid net minder Keylor Navas.

But Real Madrid then proceeded to score four goals over the next 17 minutes to humiliate the Galician squad, which remains in sixth place in La Liga and is on pace for a berth in the Europa League group stage despite the crushing defeat.

Afterward, Blancos head coach Zinedine Zidane reflected on the tale of two halves Saturday at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, acknowledging that after “we talked some” at the intermission his squad came out “more locked in.”

“Yes, we talked some at the break. But you have to keep in mind that in the first half there’s an opponent. We know how difficult it is to play well for 90 minutes. We came out very strong in the second, more locked in than in the first half. And then, when you score goals, everything’s easier,” Zidane said.

Real Madrid’s shellacking of Celta Vigo comes three days before the Blancos host Roma in the second leg of their round-of-16 Champions League clash.

The Spanish-league powerhouse, which trails arch-rival FC Barcelona by nine points with 10 games remaining in the La Liga season, defeated Roma 2-0 in the Feb. 17 first leg at Stadio Olimpico in the Italian capital. EFE

Although Real Madrid has little chance left of winning the coveted La Liga title, things look better for the club at the UEFA Champions League.

According to leading Pay-Per-Head (PPH) provider IDSca.com, sportsbooks in Costa Rica are seeing improved odds for the Real Madrid as players prepare for their upcoming Champions League match against Italian club Roma.

Real Madrid odds stand at 4/9 against Roma’s odds of 71/10. Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas intends to continue his clean sheet streak, and thus odds of a draw are 9/2.