UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid's Dominance in Germany

In the continuation of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, Real Madrid defeated Schalke 2-0 in Germany, reducing the pressure of the return match and the criticism from their fans. Before traveling to Germany, Real had also beaten Deportivo La Coruña by the same score, but the style of play had led to dissatisfaction and protests from some fans. Ronaldo, who had come under fire from critics, provided a satisfactory response to the protesting fans with his first-half goal against Schalke. A beautiful cross from Carvajal and a stunning header from Cristiano Ronaldo put Real ahead. Moments later, he could have doubled the lead but his free-kick was saved by the Schalke goalkeeper. With this goal, Ronaldo equaled the scoring record of Lionel Messi and Raúl González in all European club competitions, bringing his total to 76 goals. However, Messi remains the top scorer in the Champions League alone with two more goals than Ronaldo. In the Schalke vs. Real Madrid match, the most significant opportunity for the hosts in the first half was created by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, whose shot was saved by Casillas. The Dutch striker was injured shortly after, reducing Schalke's attacking weight. In the 74th minute, Schalke came close to equalizing, but a beautiful pass from Yoshida to Felix Platte hit the post. When Casillas collected the ball, he returned to the goal to thank the post! Shortly after, Real scored their second goal. Ronaldo's dribbling and his cross to Marcelo resulted in a spectacular shot from the Brazilian star into the net. Marcelo, along with Isco, were among Real's best players in this match, while Benzema and Gareth Bale had a mediocre night. Toni Kroos, who played in his home country, played cautiously due to an early yellow card. Real was without James Rodríguez and Sergio Ramos in this match. Carlo Ancelotti, who has faced tough days after the 4-0 defeat in the Madrid derby, told reporters after his team's second consecutive win: 'Winning after the difficult days we've had wasn't easy. However, Ronaldo was born to score. When he doesn't score in one or two games, we worry. He was outstanding tonight, scoring and assisting.' The Real Madrid coach expressed his surprise at Marcelo's goal, saying, 'I was surprised by Marcelo's scoring. He is not a player who scores frequently, and that's why I went onto the field to celebrate this goal together.' In another match, Basel of Switzerland took the lead with an early goal from Lilis Gonzalez against Porto. The Portuguese team was awarded a penalty in the 79th minute, converted by Danilo, rewarding their extensive attacks throughout the match. Porto can now qualify for the quarter-finals with a goalless draw in the return match. However, the Swiss club, which eliminated Liverpool in the group stage, does not consider itself eliminated yet. A day earlier, Bayern Munich was held to a 0-0 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine. Guardiola's team showed no signs of the team that had scored 8 goals against Hamburg just three days earlier. Paris Saint-Germain was also held to a 1-1 draw against their guest Chelsea.