Comprehensive Real Dominate Schalke

Real Madrid have all but sealed their place in the Champions League quarterfinals after their 6-1 win over Schalke in the first leg of their round of 16 tie on Wednesday night at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen. Braces from Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale led to an easy night for Real who thoroughly dominated their German hosts from start to finish, thus making next month’s return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu a mere formality.

For Real, it was just their second ever win on German soil in the Champions League, to go with their group stage triumph over Bayer Leverkusen back during the 2000-01 Champions League campaign. There was some question beforehand if head coach Carlo Ancelotti would field red-hot youngster Jesé up top in place of Bale, but in the end the Italian opted for the Welshman who joined Benzema and Ronaldo in attack. The trusted midfield trio of Xabi Alonso, Luka Modric and Ángel di María was on display, while in the back, Iker Casillas returned to goal with a back four of Dani Carvajal, Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Marcelo.

It did not take long for Los Blancos to strike and it came via the vaunted ‘BBC’ as Bale played a ball to Ronaldo who then looked to do a quick one-two with the former Tottenham man, but the ball struck the boot of Schalke’s Felipe Santana however Benzema was Johnny-on-the-spot and swooped in to fire home a goal in the 13th minute. But one minute later it looked like the Germans would equalize when Pepe and Ramos made a meal of a ball into the area and Schalke’s Julian Draxler was all alone right in front of goal to even the score. However, his shot was miraculously saved by Casillas who showed that his reflexes are still very much intact.

The mighty stop spurned Real on and they made it 2-0 in the 21st minute on a beauty of a goal from Bale. Benzema did well to dispossess the Schalke defense and then keep the ball in play before feeding Bale who danced through a couple Schalke defenders and then sent a left-footer past Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann. Unlike the first half when Ronaldo failed to convert a host of chances, the second half was a different story and Ronaldo essentially ended the tie with a spectacular goal in the 52nd minute. 

Bale found the Ballon d’Or winner on the left in plenty of space, and then Ronaldo proceeded to break the ankles of Schalke defender Joel Matip with a series of wicked crossovers that would have made former basketball star Allen Iverson proud, before rifling a left-footer that sailed past a helpless Fährmann and into goal. It was Ronaldo’s 60th career Champions League goal.

Ronaldo reached into his bag of tricks again in the 57th minute, but this time playing provider as he hooked up with Benzema to make it 4-0 to Real. The Frenchman played a ball to Ronaldo who then played a quick back-heel to the former Lyon man and it was a simple strike from there for Benzema for his second goal of the night. Aesthetically, one would be hard-pressed to find a prettier goal that, for most squads, would be nearly impossible to work, yet the genius of Ronaldo and Benzema made it look as easy as can be.

The fun continued for Ancelotti’s men in the 69th minute when they added their fifth courtesy of a Bale strike from the right after receiving a perfect weighted ball from Ramos. It was Bale’s 14th goal of the season for Los Blancos. Ronaldo completed the ‘brace-fest’ in the 89th minute when substitute Isco dispossessed a Schalke man and then fed Benzema who found Ronaldo and from there Ronaldo did the rest to make it 6-0.

Credit must go to Schalke, though, for grabbing a late goal to at least avoid the shutout as, ironically, it came on a belter from former Real Madrid man Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who volleyed in from outside the area in the 91st minute. However, that was the only bright moment for Schalke who endured what was as one-sided of a Champions League knockout round match as anyone will ever see.