Form guide (all competitions)
Madrid: LWWWDL
Schalke: WLLDLW
Real Madrid can match the 12-game Uefa Champions League record for successive home wins and break the record for consecutive victories home and away if they again see off the challenge of Schalke in the second leg of their round of 16 tie.
The holders overcame Schalke 2-0 in Germany on 18 February, Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo scoring in either half. That was Madrid's tenth straight triumph in the Uefa Champions League proper, equalling FC Bayern München's competition record.
"We have to play faster to make the most of our forwards' quality," said Carlo Ancelotti, with Real Madrid out to press their advantage against Schalke.
Previous meetings
The teams are meeting at this stage for the second season running. Last year's fixture was as good as over after the first leg in Germany which Madrid dominated 6-1, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Ronaldo all netting twice with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar replying in added time.
Madrid also won the second leg 3-1, Ronaldo adding another two to his season's haul in the competition which eventually reached 17.
The line-ups at the Santiago Bernabéu on 18 March 2014 were:
Madrid: Casillas, Nacho, Varane, Ramos (Carvajal 70), Coentrão, Illarramendi, Xabi Alonso (Casemiro 46), Jesé (Bale 8), Isco, Morata, Ronaldo
Schalke: Fährmann, Hoogland, Höwedes (K Papadopoulos 58), Matip, Kolašinac, Obasi, Ayhan (Annan 81), Neustädter, Draxler, Meyer, Huntelaar (Szalai 46).
Match background
Madrid
The Spanish side faced three Bundesliga clubs en route to lifting the trophy last term. In the quarterfinals they beat Borussia Dortmund 3-0 at home (3-2 on aggregate) and in the semis Bayern 1-0 at home (5-0 on aggregate).
Madrid have defeated three German teams in European finals: Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the 1960 European Champion Clubs' Cup and Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1 in the 2002 Uefa Champions League, both in Glasgow. They also overcame 1. FC Köln 5-3 on aggregate in the 1986 Uefa Cup.
Madrid's 4-0 thrashing of PFC Ludogorets Razgrad on matchday six was their 11th straight home success in the Uefa Champions League, one fewer than the competition record set by Manchester United FC between 13 September 2006 and 29 April 2008.
They also downed FC Basle 1893 (5-1) and Liverpool FC (1-0) on home turf in their 100percent Group B campaign. In addition, Madrid won all six home games last season, scoring 17 goals and conceding three.
They are unbeaten in 21 Uefa Champions League matches at the Santiago Bernabéu – winning 19 – dating back to April 2011, when they lost 2-0 to FC Barcelona in the semifinal first leg.
The Blancos are trying to become the first side to retain the trophy in the Uefa Champions Leagueera. They claimed their record tenth European Cup on 24 May 2014, defeating Club Atlético de Madrid 4-1 after extra time through strikes from Sergio Ramos, Bale, Marcelo and Ronaldo.
Ancelotti's knockout record against German teams as coach and player is W8 D1 L4.
Madrid have lost only one of the 29 Uefa competition ties in which they won the first leg away from home. The exception came against Odense BK in the 1994/95 Uefa Cup third round when a 3-2 away success preceded a 2-0 home reverse.
Madrid's shoot-out record in European competition is W1 L2:
1-3 v FC Bayern München, 2011/12 Uefa Champions League semifinals
3-1 v Juventus, 1986/87 European Cup second round
5-6 v FK Crvena zvezda, 1974/75 European Cup Winners' Cup quarterfinals
Schalke
Schalke have lost on all three visits to Madrid – two fixtures against Atlético preceded last season's Bernabéu encounter – and are without a win in their last eight games in Spain (D4 L4), since a 3-0 victory at RCD Espanyol in the 2005/06 Uefa Cup round of 32.
Leaving Madrid aside, the Royal Blues have tackled Spanish opposition in two other knockout ties in the past four years. They drew 1-1 at Valencia CF in the 2010/11 Uefa Champions League round of 16, winning 3-1 at home. In the 2011/12 Uefa Europa League quarterfinals they drew 2-2 at Athletic Club after a 4-2 home defeat.
They have played 26 Uefa competition matches against Liga clubs with the away record W2 D5 L6.
Substitute Max Meyer got the only goal at NK Maribor on matchday six to ensure the German side finished second behind Chelsea FC in Group G to qualify for the round of 16 for the third year in a row.
It was their first victory in six away games in the competition, since a 1-0 success at FC Basle 1893on matchday two last term.
The Königsblauen began the campaign with a 1-1 draw at Chelsea and also went down 4-2at Sporting Clube de Portugal.
Their best Uefa Champions League effort came in 2010/11 when they fell to Manchester United in the semifinals, 2-0 at home and 4-1 away.
Schalke have lost all four ties in which they succumbed at home in the first leg, and avoided defeat in just one of those second legs – that 2-2 draw at Athletic in 2011/12.
Schalke's European shoot-out record is W2 L2:
4-1 v FC Porto, 2007/08 Uefa Champions League round of 16
1-3 v Brøndby IF, 2003/04 Uefa Cup second round
4-5 v SK Slavia Praha, 1998/99 Uefa Cup first round
4-1 v FC Internazionale Milano, 1996/97 Uefa Cup final
Match facts
Real Madrid
Marcelo and Kroos will incur a suspension with their next booking.
Madrid drew for the first time in the Liga this season on 1 March, 1-1 against Villarreal CF. They were beaten 1-0 at Athletic Club on Saturday, slipping to second in the standings following FC Barcelona's win, and have won only two of their last five league matches.
Ronaldo's penalty against Villarreal meant he became the first player to score 30 or more goals in five consecutive Liga seasons.
Four days after the first leg in Gelsenkirchen, the Portugal captain doubled the Whites' lead in a 2-0 win at Elche CF.
Ramos has been out since sustaining a hamstring injury against Sevilla FC on 4 February. Khedira (also hamstring) has not featured since going off against Club Atlético de Madrid three days later.
James Rodríguez fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot against Sevilla and will miss the second leg. Like Khedira, Modric (out since 16 November, thigh) has resumed training.
Schalke
Boateng is suspended; Marco Höger and Huntelaar are a booking away from a ban.
Schalke had gone four games without a win in all competitions before Saturday's 3-1 home defeat of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
They followed up their first-leg loss to Madrid by drawing 1-1 with SV Werder Bremen on 21 February.
A week later the Royal Blues were beaten 3-0 at Borussia Dortmund. Huntelaar, recovered from the bruised shin he suffered against Madrid, returned to the side following the end of his four-game domestic suspension.
Goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann was ruled out for the rest of the season after straining the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on 8 January. Understudy Fabian Giefer has been out since 3 February with an adductor problem.
Joel Matip (out since 21 February, thigh) and Jan Kirchhoff, who has missed the last two games because of an Achilles tendon injury, have been out, although the former returned as a substitute against Hoffenheim.
Chinedu Obasi (out since December, tibia), Draxler (31 October, thigh) and Jefferson Farfán (early July, knee) are long-term absentees. Leon Goretzka (5 July, hamstring) came on as a substitute on Saturday, while Sead Kolašinac (23 August, knee) has resumed full training.
Carlo Ancelotti, Madrid coach
[Karim] Benzema, [Gareth] Bale and Cristiano [Ronaldo] will continue in the starting line-up and in the same positions. I trust them. They have scored less in recent games because the team is not helping the forwards. [After Saturday's 1-0 loss at Athletic Club] I tried to tell my players what I thought. We are making too many passes and our game is not fast enough.
We are going to try to do our best in this competition – the most important one. [Martin] Ødegaard won't be in the starting line-up but he is doing very well. [Sami] Khedira and [Luka] Modric will be on the list and will get some playing time. Modric will start on the bench and I will give him 30 minutes in the second half.
We have to play faster to make the most of our forwards' quality. The club president [Florentino Pérez] has called me several times in the last few days. I always feel the support of the club and their confidence in my work. I appreciate that.
Roberto Di Matteo, Schalke coach
It is going to be difficult for us but we are going to attempt it. Ancelotti is one of the best coaches in the world, very successful. He has worked for very prestigious clubs and won many trophies. I met him when I played for the Italian national team and he was the assistant coach. Real Madrid are a very strong side and it's very difficult to play at their level – we will try our best. We need to be well organised. I hope the media are right and their forwards are having a tough time – it's impossible to stop them altogether.
We will try to start the match with a strong line-up of players who are in good shape. Athletic are a good team at home and they didn't allow Madrid to play in the style they are used to. Tomorrow will be different. Three weeks ago I was asked about the crisis at Madrid – but I don't think there is a crisis. It would be a sensational experience for us to win. If we start scoring, it could get interesting.
Possible line-ups
Madrid: Casillas; Carvajal, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo; Lucas Silva, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Out: Ramos (hamstring), Rodríguez (toe)
Schalke: Wellenreuther; Höwedes, Matip, Nastasic; Uchida, Fuchs; Neustädter, Barnetta, Meyer; Choupo-Moting, Huntelaar.
Out: Fährmann (knee), Kolašinac (cruciate ligaments), Draxler (hamstring), Kirchoff (Achilles heel), Farfán (knee), Obasi (shinbone), Giefer (back)
Doubtful: Aogo (back)
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