Updated: October 1, 2009, 8:43 AM UK
Madrid struggled to make any headway in the opening period, but three goals in six second-half minutes from big-money signings Ronaldo (two) and Kaka ensured Manuel Pellegrini's men of a seventh successive competitive victory this campaign.
However, Marseille will be angry about the 60th-minute refereeing decision that left them down to 10 men and gave Kaka the chance to double Madrid's lead from the penalty spot, with Souleymane Diawara being penalised for a hard but seemingly fair sliding challenge on Ronaldo.
That tackle earned Diawara his second yellow card and Kaka rolled home the resulting spot-kick to leave Madrid in total control and well on their way to a second successive Champions League triumph following their 5-2 win over FC Zurich.
Marseille coach Didier Deschamps had his tactics spot-on in the first half, getting men behind the ball and restricting the amount of space Madrid had to work in, and the result meant the hosts were limited to only a handful of opportunities before the break.
Two of Madrid's best efforts came from long-range Ronaldo piledrivers, which Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda awkwardly kept out.
Karim Benzema also went close with an acrobatic overhead kick after chesting down Guti's chip, with the Frenchman's shot landing on the roof of the net.
The clearest chance for the home side in the opening 45 minutes also fell to the former Lyon striker just before the break, but he was denied by Mandanda after latching onto Kaka's flick and holding off his marker.
Marseille were not without their opportunities either, and visiting captain Mamadou Niang looked a serious threat down the left.
He almost got on the end of Stephane Mbia's brilliant threaded pass in the 17th minute, only for Iker Casillas to slide in and kick the ball away in the nick of time.
Casillas then produced a crucial one-handed block to deny Niang at his near post in the 26th minute after the Marseille man had skipped past Pepe before powering into the area.
Niang also tested Casillas just before half-time with a low shot that the Spain number one dived to his left to save.
Pellegrini opted not to make any substitutions at the break despite his side's difficulties, and his faith was rewarded as Madrid netted three times in quick succession around the hour-mark.
The first goal was route one football, with Pepe launching a long ball over the Marseille defence that his Portugal international team-mate Ronaldo raced onto before sliding a low left-footed shot under Mandanda.
Ronaldo was also involved in Madrid's second goal three minutes later, although that one owed more to a hugely controversial decision from Swedish referee Martin Hansson than anything else.
Ronaldo did well down the left but he only looked to have won a corner after Marseille centre-back Diawara slid in to take the ball off the £80million man's foot.
It was a crunching challenge and left Ronaldo writhing in agony, but Diawara got the ball and he must have been astonished to see Hansson not only award a penalty but also produce a second yellow card.
Kaka then stepped up to exact the full punishment, sending Mandanda the wrong way from the spot to make it 2-0.
That soon became 3-0 as Madrid ripped open 10-man Marseille with a brilliant move.
Guti and Sergio Ramos were both involved before Benzema played a slick one-two with Kaka before rolling the ball across the face of goal for Ronaldo to slot into an empty net.
That was Ronaldo's ninth goal of the season in competitive matches for Madrid since his world-record move from Manchester United.
It also proved to be the last goal of the match, although Madrid substitute Gonzalo Higuain missed two chances to increase his side's lead while at the other end Casillas did well to deny Niang once again, and Brandao and Lucho late on.
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