Ronaldo’s brace puts Real Madrid in the quarters

Real Madrid eased into the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League 2013-14 with a 3-1 victory over Schalke 04 in the second leg of the two-legged tie. Real Madrid went into the match with a 6-1 lead over the German side which they earned in Germany in the first leg. There was no pressure whatsoever as they played freely with confidence oozing out of each and every player on the pitch.

Christiano Ronaldo scored a brace and Alvaro Morata added a third one for the Spanish giants to complete the humiliation for the Bundesliga side. Schalke lacked the arsenal that they needed to put any sort of challenge against such a side though they equalized within 10 minutes of Ronaldo’s opener in the 21^st minute through Tim Hoogland whose deflected shot went past a stranded Casillas to find the back of the net. Ronaldo hit the post later in the second half but made sure that Real get the deserved lead when he scored his as well as team’s second of the night in the 74^th minute. Minutes later Morata added one more to put the result beyond any doubt on the night.

Real Madrid won the tie with an aggregate of 9-2 which is their best performance over the years in world. They bettered their previous best of the 8-2 victory over APOEL Nicosia in 2011-12 season. This victory could well turn out to be a huge moral booster for the Spanish as they face their arch-rival Barcelona in the La Liga within a few days.

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About Argha Ghosh

An ardent follower of sports and die-hard Manchester United fan, Argha's ultimate dream is to watch a Manchester derby from the Stretford End at the Old Trafford.