BARCELONA, Spain -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice Monday to help Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo 3-0 to stay in touch with the top of the Spanish standings, and then dedicated his goals to the memory of Portuguese great Eusebio. Ronaldo said his league-leading 19th and 20th goals of the season "were for Eusebio," the former Benfica star who died on Sunday at the age of 71. "He was very close to me and helped me a lot," Ronaldo said of his countryman. "He is a mythic figure, and for me today is a very sad day." Before the match Ronaldo locked arms with his teammates on the centre circle and turned his gaze upward during a minute of silence for Eusebio at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Hours before in Lisbon, tens of thousands of people turned out to pay tribute to the 1965 Ballon dOr winner, who is considered among the best players of all time. "I appreciate the acts of homage made here at the stadium and throughout Spain," Ronaldo said. "Its important to feel the sympathy from Spain and the rest of the world." Ronaldo moved one goal ahead of Atletico Madrids Diego Costa as the Spanish leagues top scorer by finding the net in the 82nd minute and again in stoppage time from a cross by substitute Gareth Bale on his return from a three-week injury layoff. Celtas attack, led by midfielder Rafina Alcantara, created the clearest chances of the match until Benzema broke through from close range in the 67th with his ninth goal in league play this campaign. Madrids win after the leagues two-week winter break left it five points behind Barcelona and Atletico, who play each other in the next round in the Spanish capital. "In the first half we were a little slow and the team wasnt well balanced," said Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti. "They had too many counterattacks. (But) its normal after the Christmas break. In the second half we played with more intensity." Also, Villarreal striker Ikechukwu Uche scored a hat trick and Jeremy Perbet added two more goals in a 5-2 win at Rayo Vallecano. Celta, coached by former Madrid and Barcelona player Luis Enrique, played the hosts to a standstill in the first half while enjoying the best scoring opportunities. Striker Charles had a great look six minutes in but failed to beat goalkeeper Diego Lopez one-on-one, and Rafina, younger brother of Bayern Munichs Thiago, had a shot that looked goal-bound when it deflected off a defender in the 37th. Bale had been warming up on the touchline since the half-hour mark, and coach Carlo Ancelotti sent him on in the 65th. Charles wasted Rafinas through ball moments later by sending his chip shot well wide, and soon the game swung in the hosts favour when Benzema fended off his marker and redirected substitute Jese Rodriguezs short pass into the net. "The truth is we had problems in the first half, but I think you could see the change after Bale and I went on," Jese said. With Celta still threatening to equalize, Ronaldo charged forward to meet Dani Carvajals cross and sweep it home. Ronaldo struck again in added time, banging in a cross from Bale to complete his brace a week before FIFA announces the Ballon dOr winner. Ronaldo is a finalist along with Barcelonas Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery of Bayern. "They have some of the best players in the world, and they punish you if you give them half a chance," Rafina said. The defeat pushed Celta into the relegation zone. Villarreal had taken a 5-0 lead before Nery Castillo managed to pull a pair of goals back to give Rayos fans at Vallecas Stadium some recompense for supporting their team through a dreadful first hour. Villarreal restored its hold on sixth place and the final Europa League spot, while Rayo was left in the drop zone after a fifth consecutive home defeat. 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Happs seven wins are second on the staff to Mark Buehrles 10. Win-loss record is an antiquated stat, sure, but win total is generally an indication of a pitchers ability to work deep into games, enough to be personally affected by the result.Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - The Detroit Red Wings placed Jimmy Howard on injured reserve Sunday, one day after the goaltender left the ice on a stretcher. Late in the first period of Saturdays game against the Capitals, Howard left the puck behind the net for his defense to play. Instead, Capitals forward Troy Brouwer got the puck and quickly scored on a wraparound as Howard scrambled to get back into position. Howard hurt his groin while awkwardly extending his left leg trying to cover the post.dddddddddddd As a precaution, he was taken off the ice on a stretcher. Petr Mrazek replaced Howard in goal and gave up two goals in a 3-1 loss. Prior to the game, Howard was named to the All-Star Game. He has compiled a 16-7-7 record with a 2.11 GAA and .920 save percentage this season. The Red Wings recalled goaltender Tom McCollum from Grand Rapids to fill Howards spot on the roster. McCollum has appeared in his one NHL game in his career, and it came in relief back on Mar. 30, 2011. ' ' '