Real to vent spleen on Schalke

When they were expected to win against Athletic in their La Liga encounter last Saturday, Real Madrid were beaten 0-1. Today, they hope to bounce back though in a different competition as they host Schalke 04 in the second leg of their Champions League clash.

Having claimed a 2-0 success over Schalke in Germany in the first leg three weeks ago, the reigning champions in theory have a simple task tonight.

Yet, since that win, things have taken a turn for the worse domestically for Los Blancos with a draw and a defeat seeing Madrid's four-point advantage over Barcelona at the top of the table turn into a one-point deficit. 

The team has looked lacklustre and the fans are not happy, meaning the atmosphere at the Bernabeu tonight might be a little strained, with the expectation that the champions will turn on the heat against their guests.

Schalke  come into the game having suffered a 0-3 loss in their derby to Borussia Dortmund, a bad result that also affected their confidence, though they got back to winning ways at the weekend against Hoffenheim. 

Nobody really expects Schalke to get a result in the Spanish capital so perhaps the fact that they can play free of any pressure may serve their purpose on this evening.

The game should see the long awaited return from injury for Luka Modric and Madrid have badly missed the Croatian in the centre of midfield. Whether or not he starts the game remains to be seen, but his participation at some level should serve to galvanise Los Blancos.  — FootballNews24