Champions League: Kroos warns Real of complacency against Schalke

The defending champions defeated the Germans 6-1 at the same stage last year

GELSENKIRCHEN / BASEL: Having routed Schalke on their last visit to Gelsenkirchen, Real Madrid return to Germany for Wednesday's Champions League last 16 first-leg clash, and Toni Kroos has warned the Spanish giants against complacency.

Real ran riot at Schalke's Veltins Arena at the same stage of the competition last February when Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale each scored twice in a 6-1 thrashing as part of a 9-2 aggregate victory.

It was Schalke's heaviest European home defeat until the margin was matched when Chelsea drubbed the hosts 5-0 in Gelsenkirchen in the group stages last November.

Madrid have won only three of their 27 trips to Germany, but two of those victories came last year when, after defeating Schalke, they routed Bayern Munich 4-0 at home in the second leg of their semi-final.

Holders Real will arrive in Germany with a lengthy walking-wounded list as Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, James Rodriguez, Sami Khedira and Fabio Coentrao are all out injured.

Carlo Ancelotti's Spanish league leaders are struggling for form after being hammered 4-0 at Atletico Madrid ten days ago and laboured to a 2-0 home win over Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.

"You don't win anything by going through the motions, that also goes for Real Madrid," said Germany midfielder Kroos. "If we have two good days, we can go very far, but only then."

However, attacking midfielder Isco says Real are at their best when under pressure. "What's great about this team is that it's able to pick itself up from the tough situations," said the 22-year-old, who scored against Deportivo. "I think that having been brought down to earth is going to do us good and now we're going to move forward. Now we have to go to Germany, to a difficult ground, but we're Real Madrid and we go for it."

Fourth-placed Schalke stumbled to a 1-0 defeat at mid-table Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday. It was the Royal Blues first defeat in six league games, but they are nevertheless relishing the challenge "We know we got swatted away last year and that Real Madrid is currently one of the best sides in the world, but teams like that are beatable," insisted Schalke captain Benedikt Hoewedes.

Cameroon defender Joel Matip, meawhile, feels Shalke must prove they learnt the lessons from last year's Real debacle. "You can always achieve something in football, we are looking forward to the game and we want to show that we learnt from last year," he said.

 

Sousa looks to down compatriots

Basel coach Paulo Sousa hopes his side will make a significant stride towards reaching the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time when they face two-time winners Porto in Basel.

Sousa, who spent four seasons as a player at Benfica and picked up 52 caps for Portugal during a glittering career as a defensive midfielder, needs to overturn a Basel record against Portuguese sides that stands at two wins in 10 home games.

The Portuguese admitted he was close to joining Porto during his playing career before a potential deal fell through. "I was close to signing for FC Porto," he said. "The only contact I had with the president of FC Porto was when I arrived at Juventus.”

The Swiss champions have nothing to fear having knocked out Liverpool in the group stages this season while also ousting Manchester United in 2011 and defeating Chelsea home and away during the 2013-14 Champions League group campaign.

The team are in the knockout stages for just the third time, but ended up on the wrong end of a 7-1 aggregate bashing by Bayern Munich the last time in 2012, although they did reach the European Cup last eight in 1974 when they were knocked out by Celtic.

 

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