Cristiano Ronaldo became the all-time leading goalscorer in European competitions as Real Madrid sneaked into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League 5-4 on aggregate, despite losing a seven-goal thriller 4-3 to Schalke 04 on Tuesday.
The holders looked well-set for a place in the last eight for a fifth consecutive season after cruising to a 2-0 win in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, three weeks ago, but they were given an almighty scare as Schalke twice took the lead in the first half through Christian Fuchs and Klass-Jan Huntelaar.
Ronaldo twice responded with textbook headers to take his tally in European competitions to 78 and surpass former Real and Schalke legend Raul in the process.
Photo: AFP
Karim Benzema then put the hosts in front on the night early in the second half, but Schalke earned a fully merited win thanks to further strikes from Leroy Sane and Huntelaar.
“It is clear I feel very sorry because everyone has seen we played very badly. This is not good for the image of the club,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after a fifth defeat in 15 games this year.
“It is normal that the players lack confidence. I think we have dipped a bit physically too. We had problems in every aspect of the game — offensive, defensive, desire, fight and concentration,” he said.
Photo: AFP
Meanwhile, Schalke coach Roberto di Matteo was left with the bittersweet feeling of having pulled off a stunning victory, but still being eliminated.
“We have mixed feelings,” the Italian who won the competition with Chelsea in 2011-2012 said.
“The team showed a really high level. We tried everything to stay in the competition. Tonight we won the match, but nevertheless it wasn’t enough,” he said.
Real went into the game unbeaten in 21 Champions League games at the Santiago Bernabeu, but that record seemed under threat from the off in a wretched performance that was only salvaged by Ronaldo’s predatory instincts.
Despite their 2-0 deficit from the first leg, Schalke 04 started brightly and should have been in front when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting side-footed wide from the impressive Max Mayer’s cutback.
The visitors did go in front on 20 minutes when Tranquillo Barnetta’s cross found its way through to Fuchs and the Austrian’s drive had too much power for goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
Madrid responded to that shock just five minutes later when Ronaldo rose highest to power home a Toni Kroos corner.
However, the chances continued to flow for Schalke as Huntelaar nearly capitalized on a short back-pass by Raphael Varane and then struck the crossbar with a spectacular volley.
The former Madrid striker did find the net at the third time of asking in quick succession as he pounced after Casillas could only parry Meyer’s low effort.
Again the lead only last five minutes as right on the stroke of halftime Ronaldo headed home his historic goal from a sumptuous Fabio Coentrao cross.
The holders finally looked to have put their place in the last eight beyond any doubt eight minutes after the break when Benzema showed his composure in front of goal to leave Timon Wellenreuther on the floor, before slotting home.
Yet Schalke refused to lie down and were back in the game just before the hour mark when some more atrocious defending by Madrid allowed 19-year-old substitute Sane plenty of space to curl into the far corner.
Madrid boss Ancelotti then called on Luka Modric — his first appearance after a four-month layoff through injury — and Marcelo to restore some order from the bench.
However, another defensive lapse allowed Huntelaar in behind the Madrid defense once more six minutes from time and he fired a stunning finish in off the underside of the crossbar.
Casillas made some amends for his previous errors by flying to his right to make a desperate save from Benedikt Hoewedes in stoppage-time to prevent Schalke pulling off one of the biggest shocks in the history of the competition.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but