Schalke 0-2 Real Madrid. Ronaldo finds his form in Europe

Real Madrid has earned an important advantage in the UEFA Champions League last-16 round, after visiting and beating Schalke through a clear 0-2 scoreline. Cristiano Ronaldo in the first half and Marcelo later in the second, scored the two Merengues' goals that put Ancelotti's team with one foot in the next round.

Cristiano Ronaldo responded his critics in the best possible way, as not only he scored Real Madrid's first goal in a 2-0 win over Schalke 04 this Wednesday night in Germany, but he also assisted Marcelo for the second goal in the game. With tonight's win, Real Madrid made sure they'll be going through a very comfortable second leg on March 10, when they host Schalke 04 at the Santiago Bernabéu. In the meanwhile, the Merengues will turn their attention again to the Spanish League, where they'll be facing Elche right next Sunday and defend their 1-point lead over their rivals FC Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo game photos in Schalke vs Real Madrid
Schalke 0-2 Real Madrid - Goals and highlights:

All Cristiano Ronaldo actions vs Schalke 04:

Ancelotti decided to grant Lucas Silva his first-ever start for Real Madrid and the Brazilian midfielder didn't let any of his teammates down. Kroos and Isco teamed up with the former Cruzeiro player, while at the back, the big news were Pepe and his return to the team. The Portuguese defender proved how crucial he is to this group and together with Varane, Marcelo and Carvajal, they pretty much shut down Schalke offensively, allowing Iker Casillas to have a very calm night at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen.

Upfront, Carlo Ancelotti didn't try anything new and basically relied on the talent of his preferred attacking trio. Without surprises, the Italian manager lined up Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

The reigning European champions were well aware of how important it was to score at least one away goal in these 2-leg ties and fortunately, they've done it just a few minutes before we had reached the first half of an hour. Carvajal took his time near the right sideline, cut inside a few meters and then crossed the ball perfectly into the heart of the box by using his weak foot (the left one). Cristiano Ronaldo, who had been left free of marking, didn't find much trouble in heading it into the back of the net, as the inexperienced Schalke goalkeeper was also caught hesitating. The Portuguese forward is now the first player ever to score in 12 away consecutive matches in the UEFA Champions League.

The second half didn't bring us a very different game from what we had already seen in the first 45 minutes. Real Madrid kept controlling and dictating the pace, while Schalke never really seemed capable of disturbing the Merengues at the back. Unlike last season though and when Ancelotti's side basically destroyed Schalke through a 1-6 win, this time Madrid didn't push forward in seek of more goals and opted for a more quiet game.

Nevertheless, the second would still arrive later, as we were getting closer to the last 10 minutes of the game... Cristiano Ronaldo started the play on the left, drew the attention of several defenders upon himself and passed it low to Marcelo on the edge of the box.

The Brazilian left-back moved a couple more meters inside and then struck the ball with his right foot, straight into the top corner of Schalke's goal. Terrific goal from the 26-year old and Real Madrid sealed a 0-2 win that leaves the Germans with very slim chances of still going through. The two teams will meet again for the second leg in 3 weeks from now, this time in a match that will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Real Madrid line-up vs Schalke 04:

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas
Defenders: Marcelo, Pepe, Varane, Carvajal
Midfielders: Kroos, Lucas Silva, Isco
Attackers: Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema

Match stats provided by www.ronaldo7.net
Schalke 04	vs	Real Madrid
0	Goals	2
8	Shots	9
5	Shots on goal	4
2	Corner kicks	2
15	Fouls commited	10
3	Yellow cards	1
0	Red cards	0
39%	Ball possession	61%

Cristiano Ronaldo next game will be in the Spanish League, against Elche, on the 22nd of February of 2015. You can watch Elche vs Real Madrid, Liverpool vs Besiktas, Young Boys vs Everton, Tottenham vs Fiorentina, and Wolfsburg vs Sporting, all matches provided from our football live streaming section.

Real Madrid next game:
Elche vs Real Madrid kick-off time (22-02-2015):

Jakarta (Indonesia) | GMT+6: 02:00
Spain (Madrid) | GMT+1: 21:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | GMT+0: 20:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | GMT-4: 16:00
New York (United States) | GMT-5: 15:00
Los Angeles (United States) | GMT-8 12:00
Beijing (China) | GMT+7: 03:00

Sources: ronaldo7.net / realmadrid.com / dailymail.co.uk / uefa.com / sbnation.com

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