SBNation.com - Real Madrid vs. Schalke, 2015 Champions League: Los Merengues barely hang on in 5-4 winhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2015-03-10T18:02:32-04:00http://www.sbnation.com/rss/stream/79488782015-03-10T18:02:32-04:002015-03-10T18:02:32-04:00Modric got clowned by a teenager
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<p>Sit dowwwwwwwwwn.</p> <p><iframe src="https://vine.co/v/O9zJ1egl0AQ/embed/simple" width="600" frameborder="0" height="600"></iframe>
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<p>Leroy Sané is 19 years old, playing against Real Madrid in his first Champions League game on Tuesday, AND HE WENT AND DID THIS TO LUKA MODRIC.</p>
<p>Try to type out the noise you made when Modric went down.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/3/10/8187011/luka-modric-got-absolutely-clowned-by-a-teenagerKim McCauley2015-03-10T17:40:26-04:002015-03-10T17:40:26-04:00Madrid lose to Schalke, but still advance
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<p>Madrid lost at home to Schalke, but advanced to the quarterfinals with a 5-4 aggregate win. It's a performance that will hardly leave anyone fearing the defending champions.</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/bundesliga/teams/schalke-04">Schalke</a>'s Champions League campaign is over, but not before they gave Real Madrid a solid scare in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie with a 4-3 win on Tuesday. Madrid still advanced thanks to winning the aggregate scoreline, 5-4, but Schalke pushed the Spanish side the entire match, taking advantage of a poor defensive performance from <i>Los Blancos.</i></p>
<p>Schalke needed an early goal to both get back in the tie and put Real Madrid under some pressure, and after 20 minutes they got just what they needed. After some early chances for the Germans fell apart in the attacking third, <span>Christian Fuchs</span> put the visitors up 1-0.</p>
<p><span>Max Meyer</span> started the play by getting past a couple challengers before laying the ball off to Tranquillo Barnetta. The midfielder curled a pass to the pack posted where Fuchs was waiting unmarked to drive a shot past Iker Casillas.</p>
<p>The lead lasted all of five minutes.</p>
<p>In the 25th minute a <span>Toni Kroos</span> corner kick found Cristiano Ronaldo lurking in the Schalke area and the Portuguese striker did the rest, burying a header past Timon Wellenreuther to even the score at 1-1 on the day.</p>
<p>Schalke roared back, however, and scored a second away goal in the 40th minute. Meyer was again involved, controlling a knocked down ball in the Madrid area and blasting it on frame where Casillas was only able to parry it away. <span>Klaas-Jan Huntelaar</span>, who was hunting the rebound, was happy to hammer it into the net and put the Germans back ahead 2-1.</p>
<p>Ronaldo came to the rescue again in the 45th minute, once again pulling Madrid back even at 2-2. This time it was a cross from Fabio Coentråo that found Ronaldo free in the box after he was able to peel away from his marker. Ronaldo again beat Wellenreuther with a strong header, calming the nervous Bernabéu crowd during the halftime break.</p>
<p>Madrid extended the lead in the 53rd minute when <span>Karim Benzema</span> picked up the ball on the left side of the box. Benzema proceeded to dribble his way across the face of goal before placing a shot past a diving defender and goalkeeper.</p>
<p>Schalke refused to give up, though, and tied the match yet again, this time at 3-3 in the 76th minute.</p>
<p>Leroy Sané -- who was making his Champions League debut -- took advantage of being left with a ton of space on the edge of the Madrid area, unleashing an impressive strike that froze Casillas before tucking itself nicely into the far corner of the net. Coentrão will take the bulk of the blame for the goal as he failed to close down on the Schalke youngster.</p>
<p>Huntelaar scored his second goal of the match in the 84th minute, giving Schalke a 4-3 lead on the day and moving them within one goal of eliminating Madrid. Sadly for the Germans, the final goal they needed wouldn't come as Madrid survived.</p>
<p>Fans at the Bernabéu rained down their displeasure on Madrid players at the final whistle, making it clear that despite the fact their side advanced, the performance was nowhere near good enough.</p>
<p><b>Real Madrid: </b>Casillas, Arbeloa (Nacho 83'), Varane, Pepe, Coentrão (Marcelo 58'), Kroos, Khedira (Modrić 58'), Isco, Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo</p>
<p><i>Goals: Ronaldo (25', 45'), Benzema (53')</i></p>
<p><b>Schale 04: </b>Wellenreuther, Höwedes, Matip, Nastasic, Höger (Goretzka 57'), Neustädter, Fuchs, Barnetta, (Uchida 81') Meyer, Choupo-Moting (Sané 29'), Huntelaar</p>
<p><i>Goals: Fuchs (20'), Huntelaar (40', 84'), Sené (57')</i></p>
<h3>3 things</h3>
<p><b>1. Reports of Ronaldo's demise have been greatly exaggerated </b>- Has one of the world's best players been struggling of late? Yes. Has he been failing to score goals and be the dominant attacking force we're used to seeing? Yes. Is he suddenly not good anymore? No. NO. He's Ronaldo. He's still amazing, he's still great, and let's be honest, the Madrid midfield has been a wreck lately. Remember how good they were playing before the Christmas break?</p>
<p><b>2. Madrid need <span>Sergio Ramos</span> back </b>- Yeah he has some wheels off moments, but Ramos is the anchor of the Madrid defense. He sets the tone, keeps them organized, just makes them better in so many ways. Without him at the back, Schalke were able cause major problems for Madrid. Of course, it also didn't help having both Marcelo and <span>Dani Carvajal</span> not starting either. The Coentrão-Pepe-Varane-Arbeloa combination just wasn't good enough ... at all.</p>
<p><b>3. It's REALLY hard to judge this Madrid team right now</b> - It's very easy to just say that Real Madrid isn't as good as they were last year based on their current form. It's also very easy to forget that before injuries left Carlo Ancelotti with limited rotation options, they were destroying everyone in their path without consideration for anyone's feelings. Will the return of Ramos and Luka Modrić and James Rodriguez help right the ship in the next round? Probably, but the Clásico in two weeks will be a huge litmus test. If they right the ship, they can repeat at UCL winners. If not, they could go out in the next round.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/3/10/8184425/real-madrid-schalke-2015-results-score-champions-leagueZach Woosley2015-03-10T17:09:17-04:002015-03-10T17:09:17-04:00Sane scores in Champions League debut
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<p>Not a bad start to a career.</p> <p><iframe frameborder="0" height="600" width="600" src="https://vine.co/v/O9zmugjwOBM/embed/simple"></iframe>
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<p>Meet Leroy Sane. He's a talented 19-year-old attacking midfielder who's made a handful of Bundesliga appearances, but Tuesday marked his Champions League debut. And not long after coming on, he went and scored this spectacular goal.</p>
<p>It only pulled Schalke within two goals, but it's still an awesome way to start a career in the Champions League.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/3/10/8185707/leroy-sane-scored-against-real-madrid-on-his-champions-league-debutKim McCauley2015-03-10T16:33:00-04:002015-03-10T16:33:00-04:00Ronaldo kills Schalke's dreams
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<p>Nice try, though.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>GOAL RONALDO! <a href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Real Madrid</a> 1-1 Schalke <a href="http://t.co/4TWPbGYXdx">pic.twitter.com/4TWPbGYXdx</a></p>
— Football Live Goals (@FootyLiveVines) <a href="https://twitter.com/FootyLiveVines/status/575388678501044228">March 10, 2015</a>
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<p>Hey <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/bundesliga/teams/schalke-04" class="sbn-auto-link">Schalke 04</a>, we see you scored a goal at the Bernabeu. That's pretty neat. It's almost like you're a real Champions League contender. And you're only down by one goal on aggregate now, and one away goal too! Boy, that's really neat. You might be in with a cha...</p>
<p>HA! HA! NO. <span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span> let them believe for five whole minutes before scoring this goal to make it 1-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.</p>
<p>This theme continued, with Schalke scoring a second goal to give themselves hope again. Ronaldo crushed that hope, again, with a header, again, to make it 4-2 on aggregate and 2-2 on the night at halftime.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/3/10/8185257/cristiano-ronaldo-kills-schalkes-dreamsKim McCauley2015-03-10T14:59:47-04:002015-03-10T14:59:47-04:00Real Madrid vs. Schalke 04: Lineups
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<p>Here's how Real Madrid and Schalke will start Tuesday's match.</p> <p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/bundesliga/teams/schalke-04" class="sbn-auto-link">Schalke 04</a> need a tremendous performance and a healthy dose of luck if they're to overturn their 2-0 deficit against <a href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Real Madrid</a> from the first leg. Here's how the two sides will lineup.</p>
<p><span>Carlo Ancelotti</span> has switched out both his fullbacks from the first leg victory in Germany. Marcelo and <span>Dani Carvajal</span> get a break as Álvaro Arbeloa and Fábio Coentrão enter the lineup. <span>Sami Khedira</span> also returns from a knee injury to make his first start in several weeks. The return of Khedira should held stabilize a Madrid midfield that has struggled in recent matches.</p>
<p>Schalke's lineup remains heavily influenced by injuries and suspensions. With Kevin-Prince Boateng unavailable, <span>Max Meyer</span> gets a start in the midfield, which might be an improvement for the Germans chances. Roan Neustädter replaces the injured Jan Kirchoff, while <span>Tranquillo Barnetta</span> gets a start in the midfield as well.</p>
<p><b>Real Madrid (4-3-3): </b><span>Iker Casillas</span>; Álvaro Arbeloa, Raphaël Varane, Pepe, Fábio Coentrão; <span>Toni Kroos</span>, Sami Khedira, Isco; <span>Gareth Bale</span>, <span>Karim Benzema</span>, <span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span></p>
<p><b>Schalke 04 (3-5-2): </b>Timon Wellenreuther; Benedikt Höwedes, Joël Matip, Matija Nastasic; Marco Höger, Roan Neustädter, <span>Christian Fuchs</span>, Tranquillo Barnetta, Max Meyer; <span>Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting</span>, Klass-Jan Huntelaar</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/3/10/8184323/real-madrid-schalke-04-champions-league-2015-team-news-lineupsZach Woosley2015-03-10T13:05:00-04:002015-03-10T13:05:00-04:00How to watch Madrid vs. Schalke online
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<p>Here's how you can see if Schalke can overcome a 2-0 deficit against the defending champions.</p> <p>If Schalke 04 are going to upset the current Champions League holders Real Madrid, they're going to need an impressive performance on Tuesday at the Estadio Bernabéu. Madrid holds a 2-0 lead after the first leg in Germany, and despite the Spanish side's recent poor form, they still should be good enough to advance into the next round.</p>
<p>Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez remain sidelined for Real Madrid, though both are back training at the moment. The big question for Carlo Ancelotti is whether or not he thinks Luka Modrić or Sami Khedira are ready to make a return to he midfield. Starting either of them is probably a bit risky, but it makes sense that we could seem either, or both, of them as subs.</p>
<p>Schalke remain the walking wounded with both top goalkeepers Ralf Fährmann and Fabian Giefer still sidelined. Dennis Aogo, Julian Draxler, Jefferson Farfán, Jan Kirchoff, Sead Kolašinac and Chinedu Obasi are all out, while Kevin-Prince Boateng is suspended.</p>
<p id="paragraph11"><b>Match Date/Time:</b> Tuesday, 3:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local</p>
<p id="paragraph12"><b>Venue:</b> Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain</p>
<p id="paragraph13"><b>TV:</b> Fox Sports 1 (U.S. - English), Fox Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet regional networks (Canada), ITV 1 (U.K.), TVE La 1 (Spain), Sky Sport 1 (Germany)</p>
<p id="paragraph14"><b>Online (U.S.): I</b>f your TV provider has FOX Sports 1, you can catch the game for free on <a href="http://www.foxsports.com/foxsportsgo/" target="_blank" style="background-color: #ffffff;">FOX Sports Go</a>, assuming they give you access to the service. There's also <a href="http://www.foxsoccer2go.com/" target="_blank" style="background-color: #ffffff;">FOX Soccer 2 Go</a>, a paid service that requires no TV subscription.</p>
<p><b>UK</b>: <a href="http://go.sky.com/vod/page/default/home.do" target="_blank">Sky Go</a></p>
<p><b>Canada</b>: <a href="http://watch.sportsnet.ca/world/" target="_blank">Sportsnet World Now</a></p>
<p><b>Germany</b>: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.skygo.sky.de/">Sky Go Deutschland</a></p>
<p>For listings from more countries, check out <a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/" target="_blank">Live Soccer TV</a>.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/3/10/8175745/uefa-champions-league-2015-live-stream-schalke-04-real-madridZach Woosley2015-03-10T06:02:02-04:002015-03-10T06:02:02-04:00Schalke staving off oblivion against Real Madrid
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<p>Real Madrid are hoping to polish off Schalke without too much more difficulty in the home leg of their Champions League tie.</p> <p>Schalke worked as hard as any other team to reach this stage of the Champions League, and their reward was an injury crisis and the pleasure of being drawn with Real Madrid. That ended with a 2-0 loss for the German side in the first leg of the round of 16, and they have a mountain to climb if they want to top the defending Champions League winners in Madrid.</p>
<p>It's not as though Real have had everything be all roses and sunshine of late either. They're on the tail end of their own run of bad injury luck, and neither of their elite wide men have been quite their normal dominant selves of late. <span>Cristiano Ronaldo</span> has been visibly off form of late -- though he scored one goal and assisted Madrid's other in the first leg of this tie -- and <span>Gareth Bale</span> hasn't scored a goal since January. That's lead to too many losses and disappointing results of late, and Madrid won't be able to just coast their way through this leg like they might have once hoped that they could.</p>
<p><b>Key player</b> - Eric Choupo-Moting (Schalke)</p>
<p>No matter where he starts along Schalke's front line, Choupo-Moting will be vital to whatever Schalke manage to accomplish today. The Cameroonian forward is their leading scorer in the league -- though he's struggled for consistent form in the Champions League -- and his skill on the ball can play bloody havoc on Madrid's back line. If <i>Los Merengues</i> give him too much space to work with, they'll regret it terribly.</p>
<p><b>Key Matchup</b> - <span>Toni Kroos</span> (Real Madrid) vs. <span>Max Meyer</span> (Schalke)</p>
<p>With Julian Draxler out, Meyer will play a key role in driving Schalke's attack. He has a real opportunity to succeed if he can find a way to isolate himself on Kroos, as the German international has been looking exhausted and may not be able to keep up with Meyer's pace and exuberance through the middle. If Meyer can take advantage of that, he has the ability and skill to make life difficult for Madrid's defense.</p>
<p><b><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/">Real Madrid</a> injuries and suspensions</b></p>
<p><b>Out:</b> James Rodriguez (toe), <span>Sergio Ramos</span> (hamstring) <b>In doubt:</b> None</p>
<p><b><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/bundesliga/teams/schalke-04">Schalke 04</a> injuries and suspensions</b></p>
<p><b>Out:</b> <span>Kevin-Prince Boateng</span> (suspension), <span>Julian Draxler</span> (hamstring), Ralf Fahrmann (knee), Fabian Giefer (groin), Jan Kirchoff (foot), <span>Chinedu Obasi</span> (foot), Jefferson Farfan (knee) <b>In doubt:</b> <span>Dennis Aogo</span> (back)</p>
<p>Poor Schalke are closer to running an injury ward than a football club right now. Their top two keepers and four key players are all out with various injuries right now, plus Farfan, who has been out all season. Madrid are starting to get healthy again with Luka Modric and <span>Sami Khedira</span> available again, but the continued absence of Ramos leaves the defense thin. The loss of James would hurt more, but Isco's recent fantastic form leaves them in good shape.</p>
<p><b>Match Date/Time:</b> Tuesday, 3:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local</p>
<p><b>Venue:</b> Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain</p>
<p><b>TV:</b> Fox Sports 1 (U.S. - English), Fox Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet regional networks (Canada), ITV 1 (U.K.), TVE La 1 (Spain), Sky Sport 1/HD, Sky Sport 2/HD (Germany)</p>
<p><b>Online:</b> Fox Soccer 2GO (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), Sky Go (U.K.), Sky GO Deutschland (Germany)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com">Listings via LiveSoccerTV.</a></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/3/10/8181063/schalke-04-real-madrid-2015-time-tv-schedule-champions-leagueConor Dowley2015-03-09T14:35:21-04:002015-03-09T14:35:21-04:00Schalke have to climb a mountain at Madrid
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<p>Schalke have a huge hill to climb at the Bernabéu if they want to pull off the shocking upset.</p> <p>Real Madrid are in control of this Round of 16 tie thanks to a 2-0 win on the road against Schalke 04 in the first leg. Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo not only gave Madrid the lead, but two away goals, leaving Roberto Di Matteo's side with a difficult challenge on Tuesday.</p>
<p>The one thing working in Schalke's favor at the moment is Madrid's poor form. Los Blancos lost over the weekend in league play against Athletic Bilbao, a defeat that allowed their rivals Barcelona to take over first place in La Liga from them. Either Ancelotti's side will respond and take out some of their frustration against the Germans, or they could find themselves vulnerable.</p>
<p>The bottom line for Schalke is they're going to have to play perfect, or pretty close to it, in order to pull off what would be considered a miraculous comeback. Not only will they need to score at least two goals, they're going to have to prevent Madrid from getting any of their own. Even with Cristiano Ronaldo, <span>Gareth Bale</span> and <span>Karim Benzema</span> all in a bit of a funk at the moment, they're still a formidable side to try and slow down.</p>
<h3>Team News</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/bundesliga/teams/schalke-04" target="_blank">Schalke</a>'s roster remains battered and beaten, a trend that's been ongoing for most of the season. B-team goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther is expected to start again with both Ralf Fährmann and Fabian Giefer still sidelined with injuries. Kevin-Prince Boateng is suspended, while <span>Dennis Aogo</span>, <span>Julian Draxler</span>, Jefferson Farfán, Jan Kirchhoff, Sead Kolašinac and <span>Chinedu Obasi</span> are all out.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.managingmadrid.com/" target="_blank">Real Madrid</a> are starting to get healthy again, though <span>Carlo Ancelotti</span> is not likely to risk forcing anyone back to soon. Luka Modrić and <span>Sami Khedira</span> could both be available, but with a massive El Clásico match in a couple weeks, he might not want to risk them. <span>Sergio Ramos</span> and James Rodriguez are both confirmed out.</p>
<h3>Projected Lineups (left to right)</h3>
<p><b>Schalke 04 (3-5-2): </b>Timon Wellenreuther; Matija Nastasic, Joel Matip, Benedikt Höwedes; <span>Christian Fuchs</span>, <span>Max Meyer</span>, Roman Neustädter, Marco Höger, Astuto Uchida; <span>Maxim Choupo-Moting</span>, Joël Matip</p>
<p><b>Real Madrid (4-3-3):</b> <span>Iker Casillas</span>; Marcelo, Pepe, Raphael Varane, <span>Dani Carvajal</span>; Isco, <span>Toni Kroos</span>, Lucas Silva; Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale</p>
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<p>Madrid probably won't admit it, but they're a tired team. A lack of rotation before the winter break, combined with the Club World Cup and a rash of injuries early in the new year, has forced Ancelotti to play the same guys over and over again. The biggest question for Madrid is whether or not Modrić and/or Khedira are ready to start. Ancelotti will likely be tempted, assuming they've look good in training, and the addition of either could change the midfield significantly.</p>
<p>Roberto Di Matteo started Klaas-Jan Hunteelar over the weekend, which makes Joël Matip getting the start up front likely. <span>Kevin-Prince Boateng's</span> suspension probably clears the way for Max Meyer, while Roman Neustädter seems likely to take over for the injured Jan Kirchhoff.</p>
<h3>Key Matchups</h3>
<p><b>Benedikt Höwedes vs. </b><span><b>Cristiano Ronaldo</b></span> - Despite the fact that Ronaldo scored Madrid's opening goal in the first leg, Schalke's best defender did a reasonably good job keeping the Portuguese striker under wraps. He'll have help again this time around, but if Schalke have any hope of mounting a comeback, Höwedes needs to frustrate Ronaldo as much as possible and try to take him out of the match.</p>
<p><b>Pepe and Varane vs. Schalke's attack</b> - A clean sheet in the first leg means that Madrid's central defensive duo got the job done. It was shaky at times, with Varane having a couple of moments that left you shaking your head (as he's proved to do). Schalke must score, preferably early to put pressure on the home side, so the defense will be tested. With Sergio Ramos still out, the pressure is on these two to keep the Germans from getting back in the tie.</p>
<p><b>Madrid's attack vs. Their poor form</b> - Gareth Bale hasn't scored in eight games, Karim Benzema has been virtually invisible at times, even Cristiano Ronaldo is struggling. Part of the problem is the midfield not doing their job well enough, but part of this issue is probably fatigue. The positive for Madrid is that their attacking trip doesn't have to go crazy on Tuesday, they probably just need to generate one goal to see their side on to the next round.</p>
<h3>Prediction</h3>
<p>It's seems entirely possible that Schalke could get an early goal and put some pressure on Madrid. The Spanish giants are in poor form, and their offense looked positively anemic over the weekend. If the Germans can get it to 2-1, anything could happen, but it's hard to see Madrid collapsing completely, especially at home. We'll probably see a tight game for an hour or so, with Madrid scoring late to put things away. <b>Let's go with 1-1.</b></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/3/9/8176107/real-madrid-schalke-2015-uefa-champions-league-previewZach Woosley