Kingpins put in a Real fighting performance

A BREATHTAKING four-goal second-half burst put Real Madrid on course for their fifth appearance in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in as many seasons after the La Liga kingpins turned the tables on a resolute AS Monaco that led 1-0 at half-time.

Real Madraid 4 Monaco 2

Sébastien Squillaci bundled in a loose ball on 43 minutes to give the French side the lead, but Madrid upped the tempo after the break and once Iván Helguera had pulled them level six minutes after restart, the home side took control in stunning fashion although a late Fernando Morientes header might yet prove significant.

Coach Carlos Queiroz welcomed Ronaldo back into the side as Madrid looked to break a sequence of three matches without a win.

Morientes, on loan at Monaco from Madrid, started up front for the French club alongside the captain Ludovic Giuly. Edouard Cissé both shook off knocks to start in place of Hugo Ibarra and Shedi Adebayor.

Both teams created good opportunities during an evenly-balanced first half. Zidane skewed his effort wide of Flavio Roma's post four minutes into the game then, at the other end, Morientes fed Cissé, whose centre just failed to reach Giuly. The early exchanges prompted a wave of end-to-end action. Zidane's centre was headed narrowly over by Raúl González then Ronaldo, supplied by Luís Figo, saw his header rebound for a corner amid appeals for handball.

After Madrid's most sustained period of pressure of the half, Monaco came alive. Giuly stole the ball off Zidane in the centre and raced goalwards. His effort was parried by Casillas, but Squillaci pounced on a loose ball to put the visiting side ahead.

Monaco's lead was short lived as Madrid turned the screw early in the second half. From David Beckham's corner Helguera headed in to equalise and Zidane made it two on 69 minutes when he turned in the rebound after Roma had saved well from Figo.

Seven minutes later the Portuguese international added the third, heading in a rebound off his own penalty after Ronaldo had been hauled down in the area, before the Brazilian crowned his return with the fourth on 81 minutes. A header from Morientes narrowed the score seven minutes from time, but Madrid had already sounded their warning.

REAL MADRID: Casillas, Salgado, Bravo (Pavon 28), Mejia, Helguera, Beckham, Guti (Borja 77), Figo, Zidane, Raul, Ronaldo (Solari 82).

MONACO: Roma, Evra (El Fakiri 89), Givet (Ibarra 83), Squillaci, Rodriguez, Bernardi, Cisse (Plasil 65), Rothen, Zikos, Giuly, Morientes.

Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).