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Sorry - this page has been removed. Cristiano Ronaldo back among the goals in Real Madrid’s win at Schalke
(4 months later)
This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo ended a three-game goal drought as the holders beat Schalke 2-0 in Gelsenkirchen to take a big step towards the Champions League quarter-finals.
The world player of the year headed in after 26 minutes for his 73rd Champions League goal with Real’s first chance of the game and he set up Marcelo to give Real a record-equalling 10th straight win in the Champions League, level with the mark set by Bayern Munich in 2013.
For further information, please contact: Real’s victory was nowhere near as emphatic as last season’s 6-1 romp at Schalke at the same stage of the competition but it was a much-needed confidence boost for Carlo Ancelotti’s team after a lacklustre start to the year in Spain.
Looking to become the first team to retain the Champions League title, Real, eliminated from the King’s Cup this month and crushed 4-0 by Atlético Madrid in La Liga, host Schalke in the second leg on 10 March.
A relieved-looking Ancelotti said of Ronaldo: “He scored, he played well and gave an assist. Cristiano is back. Today we needed a game like that, with this attitude, a good game. Everything went well.”
Schalke fielded five defenders and were on the back foot from the start but their coach Roberto Di Matteo’s disciplined 5-3-2 system proved effective. First to the ball and working hard, Schalke gradually grew in confidence and a good effort from Dennis Aogo sailed just wide before a shot by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar required a full-stretch save from Iker Casillas.
But Ronaldo, left with far too much space in the box, put Real ahead, ending his mini lean spell with a glancing header from Daniel Carvajal’s cross to take his competition tally to 73, two short of the record held by Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.
Karim Benzema almost got a second but the reserve keeper Timon Wellenreuther, making his competition debut, kept his cool to clear the ball. The 19-year-old got the nod due to injuries to Fabian Giefer and Ralf Fährmann and he did well to deny Ronaldo his second goal, parrying a curling free-kick in the 34th minute.
Schalke’s gameplan collapsed when Huntelaar, back in action despite serving a suspension in the Bundesliga for a red card, limped off with a leg injury. But Real, who took their foot off the gas after the break, were almost punished by the 19-year-old Felix Platte, who struck a shot against the crossbar 15 minutes from time.
The Brazilian Marcelo ended any lingering German hopes with a powerful shot 11 minutes from the end after good work from Ronaldo.
Di Matteo admired Real’s decisiveness, saying: “The quality made the difference. They have superb players and that is why they are the title holders. They had one chance and scored two goals.”
In the night’s other game, a 79th-minute Danilo penalty gave FC Porto a 1-1 draw in Basel after the home side had taken an 11th-minute lead through Derlis González. The major talking point came in the 49th minute when Casemiro appeared to have equalised for Porto but, with the visitors having finished celebrating and returned to the halfway line, the English referee Mark Clattenburg disallowed the goal after a lengthy consultation with his linesman.