Champions League: Real Madrid Advances To Q/Final

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, Sports News Wednesday, March 11th, 2015

Real Madrid survived a real scare to qualify for their fifth successive Champions League quarter-final despite conceding four away goals to an impressive Schalke.

The holders were hanging on in the final few seconds as Schalke were just one goal away from producing one of the competition’s biggest shocks after winning the second leg.

Trailing 2-0 after the first leg, Schalke twice led – through Christian Fuchs and ex-Real striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – but Cristiano Ronaldo levelled each time with a header.

Karim Benzema gave the hosts the advantage on the night after the break but goals from Leroy Sane and Huntelaar saw a below-par Real endure a nervous finale in a thrilling encounter.

World Player of the Year Ronaldo became the Champions League’s record scorer but, for once, the Portuguese was not the story as Bundesliga side Schalke threatened what was almost the unthinkable.