Real torment hapless Schalke
28 Feb 2014 6:01 AM IST
Real are now all but guaranteed a quarterfinal place regardless of the return leg in Madrid on March 18 after Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale both netted twice in the rout.
Real’s Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo also scored twice to see him take over from Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the competition’s top-scorer with 11 European goals this season.
Netherlands striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored a 91st-minute consolation goal for Schalke, but the Royal Blues still suffered their heaviest defeat in European competition. Carlo Ancelotti’s Real are now unbeaten in their last 27 games dating back to October.
The huge victory went some way to correcting Real’s terrible away record in Germany as they made the Royal Blues of Schalke look anything but regal.
This was only Real’s second win in 26 visits to Germany after 18 defeats, including their 4-1 drubbing at Borussia Dortmund in last season’s Champions League’s semifinal.
Real needed just 13 minutes to take the lead at the Veltins Arena as their star-studded attack clicked into gear. Wales winger Bale cut in from the right, Ronaldo flicked his pass into space and Benzema beat the Welshman to the loose ball and fired past Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann.
Schalke were punished for wasting their rare opportunity and with 21 minutes gone, Bale held off two Schalke defenders to make it 2-0. Ronaldo finally got on the scoresheet at the fourth attempt to claim his 10th European goal of the season in his sixth Champions League match.
Just five minutes later, his deft backheel fell into Benzema’s path for the Frenchman to drill home his second of the night and Real’s fourth past the despairing Faehrmann.
It was one-way traffic by now and Bale scored his second and Real’s fifth when Sergio Ramos’s through ball was driven low into the bottom left-hand corner on 69 minutes. Ronaldo then grabbed his second on 89 minutes to leave him with 36 goals in 33 games for Real before Huntelaar finally put Schalke on the board just before the final whistle. The Royal Blues face another tough challenge ahead of the return trip.
Chelsea have the upper hand in their Champions League last 16 tie with Galatasaray after coming away from a testing environment in Istanbul with a 1-1 first leg draw on Wednesday.
The visitors led at half-time thanks to an early goal from Fernando Torres, but Galatasaray improved in the second half and restored parity after the hour mark when Cameroon defender Aurelien Chedjou found the net.
A draw was a fair reflection of the way the game went, but Chelsea will now hope to finish the job in the return at Stamford Bridge.
Real’s Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo also scored twice to see him take over from Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the competition’s top-scorer with 11 European goals this season.
Netherlands striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored a 91st-minute consolation goal for Schalke, but the Royal Blues still suffered their heaviest defeat in European competition. Carlo Ancelotti’s Real are now unbeaten in their last 27 games dating back to October.
The huge victory went some way to correcting Real’s terrible away record in Germany as they made the Royal Blues of Schalke look anything but regal.
This was only Real’s second win in 26 visits to Germany after 18 defeats, including their 4-1 drubbing at Borussia Dortmund in last season’s Champions League’s semifinal.
Real needed just 13 minutes to take the lead at the Veltins Arena as their star-studded attack clicked into gear. Wales winger Bale cut in from the right, Ronaldo flicked his pass into space and Benzema beat the Welshman to the loose ball and fired past Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann.
Schalke were punished for wasting their rare opportunity and with 21 minutes gone, Bale held off two Schalke defenders to make it 2-0. Ronaldo finally got on the scoresheet at the fourth attempt to claim his 10th European goal of the season in his sixth Champions League match.
Just five minutes later, his deft backheel fell into Benzema’s path for the Frenchman to drill home his second of the night and Real’s fourth past the despairing Faehrmann.
It was one-way traffic by now and Bale scored his second and Real’s fifth when Sergio Ramos’s through ball was driven low into the bottom left-hand corner on 69 minutes. Ronaldo then grabbed his second on 89 minutes to leave him with 36 goals in 33 games for Real before Huntelaar finally put Schalke on the board just before the final whistle. The Royal Blues face another tough challenge ahead of the return trip.
Chelsea have the upper hand in their Champions League last 16 tie with Galatasaray after coming away from a testing environment in Istanbul with a 1-1 first leg draw on Wednesday.
The visitors led at half-time thanks to an early goal from Fernando Torres, but Galatasaray improved in the second half and restored parity after the hour mark when Cameroon defender Aurelien Chedjou found the net.
A draw was a fair reflection of the way the game went, but Chelsea will now hope to finish the job in the return at Stamford Bridge.
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