Real Madrid lead 6-1 and face Barca next... but Ronaldo WILL play against Schalke as superstar battles Messi for goal record By PETE JENSON Schalke might be forgiven for thinking they have suffered enough in the Champions League last-16, but Carlo Ancelottis pre-match team news suggests they are only half way through their nightmare. Ancelotti confirmed that this years top scorer in the competition, Cristiano Ronaldo, will start Tuesday nights second leg despite the tie being over as a contest and it coming just five days before El Clasico. Ronaldos insatiable appetite for personal records has no doubt played a part in the decision to start him against the Germans still recovering defence. Ronaldo has 62 Champions League goals in 98 games – just nine short of Raul Gonzalezs record haul of 71. Lionel Messi is the favourite to go past Raul first having taken his tally to 67 in 83 games with the goal he scored against Manchester City last week. Ronaldo, understandably does not want to miss out on any opportunities likely to come his way against Schalke. The Portuguese currently leads Messi in this seasons competition with 11 goals ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovic with 10 and Messi with eight. He will play upfront alongside youngsters Alvaro Morata and Jese as Gareth Bale is rested and Karim Benzema tries to recover from the knock he picked up at the weekend against Malaga before Sundays home game against Barcelona. We will play with Morata, Jese and Ronaldo, said Ancelotti who, when asked about Benzema added: He cannot play on Tuesday but we are confident he will be fine for the weekend. He is a very important player for us, and not just because he scores goals. One thing that will boost Ronaldos hunt for goals, asides from Schalkes minimal chances of a comeback, is that their priority going into the game will actually be the weekends meeting with Eintracht Braunschweig and not salavaging anything from their visit to the Santiago Bernabeu. Schalkes tussle for third in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen is now their main focus and that will almost certainly mean that former Real Madrid striker Klass-Jan Huntelaar will start on the bench. He has nine goals in ten games in the league and it is more important he adds to that tally against Braunschweig than against his former club. Source: Daily Mail
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 05:16:47 +0000
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