Soccer

Real and Ronaldo finish the job against Schalke

Portugal attacker scores twice to bring his Champions League tally to 13 for the season

Gareth Bale of Real Madrid is tackled by Tim Hoogland of Schalke 04 at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Bongarts/Getty Images
Gareth Bale of Real Madrid is tackled by Tim Hoogland of Schalke 04 at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Bongarts/Getty Images
Tue Mar 18 2014 - 21:49

Real Madrid 3 Schalke 1 (Real win 9-2 on aggregate)

Real Madrid stormed into the Champions League quarter-finals with a club record 9-2 aggregate success after Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice in a 3-1 win at home against Schalke 04.

Real were virtually assured of a place in the last eight after thrashing the Bundesliga side 6-1 in Gelsenkirchen in the first leg and coach Carlo Ancelotti rested a host of regulars for the return at the Bernabeu with an eye on Sunday’s La Liga “Clasico” against Barcelona.

Gareth Bale started on the bench was introduced early and set up Ronaldo for Real’s 21st-minute opener, breaking down the right before squaring it to the Portuguese to tap home.

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Schalke levelled 10 minutes later when a long-range Tim Hoogland effort deflected off Sergio Ramos and bounced past the stranded Iker Casillas.

However, Ronaldo took his tally in this edition of Europe’s elite club competition to 13 goals in seven games with his second of the night in the 74th minute, after he ran at the Schalke defence and fired inside the nearpost from 15 yards.

Alvaro Morata added a third for Real a minute later after a Ronaldo effort came back off the crossbar. It was Real’s biggest aggregate Champions League win after beating APOEL Nicosia 8-2 in 2011-12.