Real Madrid vs. Schalke: Score, Grades, Reaction from Champions League

Cristiano Ronaldo overtook Lionel Messi as the leading goalscorer in European club competitions, but celebrations were muted as Schalke gave Real Madrid an almighty fright at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night.

Los Blancos were leading 2-0 from the first leg in Gelsenkirchen, but Christian Fuchs stunned the home crowd when he halved the deficit in the 20th minute.

Ronaldo rode to the rescue five minutes later with an equaliser, but Roberto Di Matteo's side hit back when former Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar made it 2-1 to the German club on the night.

However, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner was in no mood to struggle into the quarter-finals and headed home another leveller in first-half injury time.

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press

Karim Benzema appeared to have given clear daylight for Real Madrid when he made it 3-2 after a mazy run across the Schalke area in the 52nd minute.

Schalke refused to lie down, though, and substitute Leroy Sane curled a sublime effort beyond Iker Casillas five minutes later.

With Luka Modric replacing Sami Khedira, Real appeared to settle, but Huntelaar ensured a nervy end to the game with an 84th-minute strike. 

But Casillas produced two fine stops at the end of the game to deny Schalke a stunning comeback as Real Madrid ran out 5-4 winners on aggregate.

Los Blancos might remain on course in their defence of the Champions League despite the 4-3 defeat on the night, but with El Clasico less than two weeks away, their form is a major concern.

And the sight of many Real Madrid supporters waving white hankies in a sign of disapproval was not the expected end to the game.

Carlo Ancelotti included Khedira and Fabio Coentrao in the starting lineup for Real Madrid, while Modric was on the bench after over three months out with a thigh injury.

It was a cagey opening to the game, but Schalke waltzed between the Real defence in the 12th minute with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting dropping the ball into the path of Marco Hoger. Casillas blocked the strike, but the referee adjudged the move to be offside.

But it was a warning for the home side after a difficult time in La Liga in recent weeks.

In the 20th minute, Schalke stunned the Bernabeu as they took the lead. A driving cross-field run by Max Meyer saw him find Tranquillo Barnetta on the right flank.

Huntelaar left the cross along the edge of the Real Madrid area, and it found an unmarked Fuchs instead, and he fired past Casillas.

However, when the home side needed a steadying hand, Ronaldo was at the ready. And his fine header from a Toni Kroos corner found the corner of Timon Wellenreuther's net just five minutes after Schalke's opener.

The goal saw the former Manchester United forward become the leading all-time goalscorer in European football with 77, one ahead of Messi.

An injury forced Choupo-Moting out of the game, dealing Schalke a further blow in the 30th minute, with Sane replacing him.

Ronaldo was then cautioned for a foul on Hoger before Gareth Bale tested Wellenreuther with a snapshot from the edge of the box in the 35th minute.

Huntelaar almost added a second for the Bundesliga side after latching on to a poor Raphael Varane back pass, but his tame effort drifted wide.

The Netherlands striker was involved once more moments later when he struck the crossbar, but his time was to arrive in the 40th minute.

Meyer took aim at goal, and Casillas could only parry his shot. Huntelaar drilled home the rebound to make it 2-1 to the German side.

Ronaldo, though, underlined his value to Los Blancos in the first minute of injury time. Coentrao sent over a fine cross from the left, and the Portugal international found space to thunder a header home to level the score at 2-2.

The home supporters breathed a huge sigh of relief in the 52nd minute as Benzema scored his 20th goal of the season. Coentrao poked the ball to the France international just inside the Schalke area, and the forward went on a mazy run across the face of goal before firing home.

That wave of relief lasted just five minutes, though, as substitute Sane produced a superb curling strike from a Fuchs pass to level the scoreline at 3-3.

Ancelotti brought on Marcelo for Coentrao in the 58th minute, while Modric appeared to an ovation from the home fans to replace Khedira.

Kroos forced the 19-year-old Wellenreuther into a tremendous save in the 70th minute with a fierce strike from 20 yards after Isco had found the midfielder with a clever pass.

The introduction of Modric appeared to have a calming influence on Real as Schalke struggled to find the glaring defensive holes of the first half.

Six minutes from time, nerves were frayed once more around the Bernabeu as Huntelaar added his second of the night after inadvertently being played in by Modric as he tackled Sane.

Schalke smelt blood, and Casillas has to be alert to deny Sane as the clock ticked down at the Bernabeu.

In the 90th minute, Casillas was again a hero when he stopped a Benedikt Howedes drive on the line after a Huntelaar knockdown inside the area.

And Real held on but only just.

Selected Player Ratings

Cristiano Ronaldo: A

The Real Madrid talisman single-handedly kept Real Madrid in the game with two goals in the first half as he created a new European record.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar: A

The Schalke striker had a point to prove after an unhappy spell at the Bernabeu, and he stunned the home crowd with his team's second of the night.

Iker Casillas: A-

The Real Madrid goalkeeper was not helped by an awful display from his defenders in the opening 45 minutes, but the veteran has to take a share of the blame for the Schalke goals. However, two match-saving stops at the end redeemed his performance.

Max Meyer: A+

It was a tremendous display of running and guile from the Schalke midfielder. Expect him to emerge as a transfer target for major European powers in the summer on this performance.

Post-Match Reaction