Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 40th goal of the season as Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo jeered by Real Madrid fans despite scoring in win over Roma

Cristiano Ronaldo was booed by Real Madrid fans despite scoring one goal and laying on another in their 2-0 Champions League last-16 second leg win against Roma on Tuesday.

Some sections of the Bernabéu crowd voiced their displeasure at the club’s all-time leading scorer as he missed several scoring chances as Real reached the quarter-finals with a 4-0 aggregate victory.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored opening goal of 2-0 second-leg victory which put Real Madrid in quarter-finals at expense of Roma 4-0 on aggregate

Ronaldo’s team-mate, the Spain defender Sergio Ramos, gave his backing to the Portugal forward. “I would tell the fans to think a little first,” Ramos was quoted as saying by Marca. “I respect them but when things don’t go well they should support their players because we all want the best for Real Madrid.

“He’s a historic player for Real Madrid, he keeps proving that year after year – look at what he’s achieved. When the fans at the Bernabéu boo you it is because they want to transmit their demands to you, they want to push us and see the best performance from us.”

Zinedine Zidane said the booing would simply spur Ronaldo on. “It will only motivate him,” the Real coach told the Spanish television network TVE. “The important thing is that every time Cristiano is on the pitch he wants to score and he keeps doing it.”

Ronaldo scored in the 64th minute before setting up the second goal of the night for James Rodríguez four minutes later.

This month Zidane vouched for the harmony in the Real dressing room after comments by Ronaldo that hinted at divisions. The Portuguese forward was quoted after the 1-0 home defeat by Atlético Madrid last month as saying that if all his team-mates were at his level Real would be top of La Liga instead of third. Ronaldo said later that he had been misquoted.

Real Madrid 2-0 Roma (4-0 agg)

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.

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a great chance to double his tally

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.

Early on, Real's leading scorer appeared to be trying too hard to win supporters over, occasionally guilty of showboating rather than taking the chance to shoot.

Once he stung the hands of Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny either side of half-time, he finally opened the scoring when he showed great anticipation to cut across Roma's Kostas Manolas and poke in substitute Lucas Vazquez's close-range cross.

The Portuguese forward, who now has 13 goals in this season's Champions League, set up Rodriguez for the second four minutes later as the Colombian fired in low after a swift counter attack.

Gareth Bale has scored 14 goals this season for Real Madrid

Bale comes on to improve fitness

The gap to Barcelona in La Liga has coincided with a calf injury to Gareth Bale, but, after appearing and scoring as a substitute in their 7-1 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday, the Welshman made his first start since 17 January.

The world record signing worked hard on the right wing and sent in several fizzing crosses which, had Karim Benzema been playing, might have resulted in a goal.

As it was, Real took the lead when Vasquez came on to replace Bale and set up Ronaldo with his first touch.

But it was a decent work out for the former Tottenham player, who could yet make a telling difference as the season comes to a close and will be aiming to star for Wales at the European Championship in June.

Mohamed Salah was once described by a former boss as "world-class, if only he could finish".

Salah the biggest threat for Roma

When Salah played at former team Basel, his manager Murat Yakin said the winger could be world class if only he could finish.

Unfortunately, that proved an accurate assessment of the Egyptian, who had a short-lived period at Chelsea in 2014, during which he was loaned to Fiorentina.

The 23-year-old caused plenty of problems for Real with his pace on the right wing, and set up Dzeko for a great early chance.

But the profligacy shown by both was further underlined with another miss by Salah after the break, and 18 minutes later Real were 2-0 ahead.

Diego Perotti's shot against the post, two minutes from time, would only have been a consolation.

'Players' reaction causes me pain'

Luciano Spalletti, Roma coach: "We are weak and at the first sign of difficulty we cannot be the team that we need to be. It is not as if Real Madrid are going through a great period of form and at the moment they are not irresistible.

"When I come back into the dressing room after the final whistle and see the players satisfied because they will get compliments for the performance, this creates a disappointment and pain in me that I cannot reconcile.

"When you go into the dressing room after a 2-0 defeat, you need to be angry and realise the chances you have thrown away over these two games."

Stats you need to know

• Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored in 61 different Champions League matches; more than any other player (Raul 56, Lionel Messi 51)
• Ronaldo has now scored five goals in his last six Champions League appearances against Roma.
• Keylor Navas has now gone eight consecutive Champions League games without conceding, one game away from equalling Jens Lehmann's record by a goalkeeper (9 in 2005/06).
• Real Madrid has 37 goal attempts, more than Roma, Gent and Wolfsburg combined. 

Keywords : Champions League, UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid vs Roma