Real Madrid vs. Schalke: Team News, Predicted Line-Ups, Live Stream & TV Info
Real Madrid welcome Schalke to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday evening for the second leg of their round-of-16 tie in the Champions League.
Carrying a two-goal advantage into this clash from the tie's first leg at the Veltins-Arena on February 18, Carlo Ancelotti's men will be overwhelming favourites to progress into the quarter-finals and know one goal will likely end the contest.
But though anything other than a dramatic upset will be sufficient for the European champions, it's imperative for Los Blancos to recapture some of their best form that's deserted them in 2015.
Indeed, Saturday's defeat to Athletic Bilbao at the San Mames means Real have won just three of their last six games in all competitions and have conceded the top spot on the Primera Division table to Barcelona.
According to Marca, midfielder Luka Modric could return for Tuesday's game after missing almost four months through injury. The Croatian's presence, though likely as a substitute, would be a major boost for the home side, who've lacked fluency without the club's outstanding midfielder of last season.
Schalke, meanwhile, come into this clash on the back of an important 3-1 victory over Hoffenheim that snapped a four-game winless run.
Facing a two-goal deficit, the German outfit might enjoy a certain sense of freedom at the Bernabeu, given that there's little to lose for them in this second leg.
But injuries and suspensions will make Schalke's task considerably harder. Already without Julian Draxler, Ralf Fahrmann and Jefferson Farfan, UEFA lists Jan Kirchhoff and Joel Matip as doubtful, while Kevin-Prince Boateng is suspended after his yellow card in the first leg.
Date: Tuesday, March 10
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET/8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
TV Info: Sky Sports (UK), Fox Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), Fox Sports Go (U.S.)
Form Lines
| L: 0-1 vs. Athletic Bilbao | W: 3-1 vs. Hoffenheim |
| D: 1-1 vs. Villarreal | L: 0-3 vs. Borussia Dortmund |
| W: 2-0 vs. Elche | D: 1-1 vs. Werder Bremen |
| W: 2-0 vs. Schalke | L: 0-2 vs. Real Madrid |
| W: 2-0 vs. Deportivo La Coruna | L: 0-1 vs. Eintracht Frankfurt |
| L: 0-4 vs. Atletico Madrid | W: 1-0 vs. Borussia Monchengladbach |
Predicted Formations
Players to Watch
In the wake of Real Madrid's defeat to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, and amid a rather barren run in front of goal in 2015, the club's star-studded front three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema have faced intense criticism.
It's a surprising turn of events for the trio, who formed the most rampant attack on the planet last season and who were in blistering form during Real's 22-game winning streak to conclude 2014.
Suddenly, however, Real's attack looks disjointed and dysfunctional and hasn't scored a goal in open play for over 200 minutes.
Can Ronaldo and Co. turn it around? Find out on Tuesday.
At the other end, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will return to the Bernabeu once more for this clash and will be eager to excel at a venue where he endured a difficult six-month stay in 2009.
Prior to the first leg of this tie, according to Goal.com's Mark Doyle, the Dutch striker remarked that he was "itching to get going" against the European champions but was unfortunately forced to leave the field in the first half due to injury.
Without a goal since a hat-trick against Mainz in November, this fixture would be an ideal time to re-open his account.
Key Battle
Perhaps the biggest battle Tuesday evening in the Spanish capital will be a tactical one.
In the first leg at the Veltins-Arena, Roberto Di Matteo sent his side out in a very defensive 5-3-2 that sat very deep and allowed Real Madrid to control the game's flow.
Essentially, it was a tactic designed to avoid being blown away and stay in the tie as long as possible.
But with Schalke needing to force the issue in this second leg, Di Matteo might instruct his team to be more expansive, which could see wing-backs Atsuto Uchida and Christian Fuchs push higher to help support the team's midfield.
If the visitors are able to create a numbers advantage at any stage and hassle the hosts' midfield in the way Athletic Bilbao did, they might be able to pose Real Madrid a couple of problems.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Real Madrid: 1/5
Draw:32/5
Schalke: 10/1
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