The current Champions League hosts started the game well, showing no signs of a hangover from their dismal league form and Ronaldo almost opened the scoring after just two minutes as he controlled a cross from the right and forced Nauzet in the home goal into a save.
The two sides exchanged efforts from range early on with Ronaldo seeing both a 30 yard free kick and a 25 yard drive drift just wide as he searched for his range.
Halfway through the first period, Real found the breakthrough and it was worth the wait. The returning Dani Carvajal saw his cross from the right only half-cleared and Luka Modric duly volleyed home the loose ball from 25 yards. It was a fine strike, though Nauzet arguably should have done better after getting a hand on the ball.
64 - Luka Modrić is now the Croatian player with the most appearances in #UCL history, surpassing Darijo Srna (63). Magic. pic.twitter.com/RYJbnt6sZ6
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) 21 November 2017
Sallai wasted a great chance to level for Apoel just minutes later as he headed a cross from the right over the bar when unmarked 12 yards out.
Not keen on throwing away a much-needed win, Real took the game away from their opponents during a six-minute blitz at the end of the first half.
First Karim Benzema get in on the act, slotting home from the edge of the box after a lovely move involving Ronaldo and Toni Kroos after 39 minutes.
Just two minutes later, it was three. Slack marking allowed Raphael Varane to meet Marco Asensio’s corner from the left and fellow defender Nacho stole in to flick past Nauzet from close range.
The hosts briefly threatened in the minutes that followed, with Pote heading wide but in Real showed their ruthlessness once again on the stroke of half-time. Following an Apoel corner, Real countered at pace. Benzema fed Ronaldo down the left and the Portuguese committed the last defender and the goalkeeper before squaring for the Frenchman to tap into an empty net to double his tally for the night as Real ran riot.
With that, Real went into the break with a commanding lead and they started the second half in the same vein.
Within four minutes they had extended their lead and it was Ronaldo’s turn to get on the scoresheet. Marcelo was afforded far too much time down the left and when he crossed to the far post, the Portuguese rose highest to head back across Nauzet and into the corner to make it 5-0.
Keen to take advantage of the poor standard of opposition, Ronaldo was in on the act against just five minutes later. Benzema almost stole onto a poor backpass, only for Nauzet to come out and make the challenge but the loose ball dropped for Ronaldo to tuck it into the empty net.
18 - Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored 18 Champions League goals in 2017; the record for a single player in a calendar year. Updated. pic.twitter.com/ccVdBBJFJq
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) 21 November 2017
The tempo of the game dropped at this point as both sides made a raft of substitutions, though Real did have a great chance to further add to the scoreline late on as two of those subs combined.
Marco Asensio fed Theo Hernandez down the left on the counter and his low cross was perfect for Borja Mayoral, but he got his finish all wrong at the far post.
Real ran out more than comfortable winners in the end, though it wasn’t all good news for ‘Los Blancos’, with Tottenham’s victory over Borussia Dortmund in the other game in the group all but condemning Real to a second place finish in Group H.