real madrid survive schalke scare published: tuesday 10 march 2015, 22.35cet real madrid cf 3-4 fc schalke 04 (agg: 5-4) cristiano ronaldo's record-breaking 77th and 78th goals in europe were overshadowed by a valiant victory, albeit in vain.
• real madrid hold off valiant schalke comeback to reach a fifth successive quarter-final • cristiano ronaldo scores his record-breaking 77th and 78th goals in uefa club competition • christian fuchs (20) and klaas-jan huntelaar (40) had put schalke in front twice • karim benzema (53) makes it 3-2 but leory sané (57) and huntelaar (84) set up nervy finale • quarter-final draw in nyon on 20 march at 12.00cet
real madrid cf edged into the uefa champions league quarter-finals for the fifth year in a row despite a valiant display from fc schalke 04, who earned a famous second-leg victory but still narrowly bowed out of the competition.
schalke were the better side in an open first half and twice led, through christian fuchs and former madrid striker klaas-jan huntelaar, but madrid were level at the break, thanks mainly to cristiano ronaldo. the portuguese twice headed into the schalke net, taking his tally in uefa club competition to 78, surpassing the record of former madrid star raúl gonzález, and when karim benzema struck eight minutes into the second half, madrid led. schalke levelled through 19-year-old leroy sané and huntelaar's second of the night set up a tense finale, which madrid survived – just.
with no team having ever overturned a two-goal home defeat in the uefa champions league era, schalke might have begun with little hope but they showed plenty of spirit, pressing and harrying at every turn. ten minutes in, max meyer broke down the left and pulled the ball back to eric maxim choupo-moting but the cameroonian's first-time effort drifted wide.
meyer then broke through the madrid defence only to pull a weak shot wide, but still madrid failed to heed the warnings and, in the 20th minute, they were punished. tranquillo barnetta's low cross from the right was allowed to reach fuchs in space at the far post, and his fierce left-foot strike was too powerful for ıker casillas.
madrid roused themselves and five minutes later they were level, toni kroos crossing for ronaldo to head past timon wellenreuther – just as he had in the first leg – and equal raúl's mark. schalke, however, were undaunted and huntelaar's thunderous effort from the edge of the penalty area came back off the crossbar. seconds later, the former madrid striker was there again after casillas parried meyer's shot; huntelaar pounced and this time schalke were back in front.
again madrid's reply was swift and incisive, fábio coentrão's deep cross headed in by ronaldo on the stroke of half-time, before the holders gained some breathing space early in the second period. benzema kept his head to evade two defenders, and goalkeeper wellenreuther, and slot in his sixth uefa champions league goal of the campaign.
now it was schalke's turn to muster a response , and they did so in considerable style. sané, making his competition debut, worked space to curl a fine shot across casillas and inside the far post.
chances continued to come at both ends, wellenreuther saving from álvaro arbeloa and kroos, the latter also curling narrowly wide. that proved crucial with six minutes left, huntelaar striding clear after luka modrić's tackle had inadvertently sprung the madrid defence and thumping a shot past casillas off the underside of the crossbar.
the goalkeeper then sprang to his right to push away another sané effort, yet still schalke were not beaten. ıt took a casillas block from benedikt höwedes in added time to finally end their challenge, as madrid scraped through.
