Why was anyone surprised? Cristiano Ronaldo ended talk of a scoring drought by netting his 58th Champions League goal for Real Madrid in 58 games for the club to help Real Madrid to a 2-0 win over Roberto di Matteo’s Schalke.
It was the 12th consecutive away game in the Champions League that Ronaldo had scored in and he set up Marcelo in the second half to put the game beyond the Germans.
Ronaldo had not scored in his last three games. He hadn’t gone four games without scoring for four years but he rose to head past Schalke’s 19-year-old keeper Timon Wellenreuther to put Real Madrid in-front in the first half.
The holders were not happy about being forced to wear pink – the last time they played in their garish third kit they lost 4-2 to Real Sociedad and had wanted to play in their all-black second strip only for Uefa to deem it clashed with Schalke's blue and white. They needn’t have worried – this was more 'back to the fuschia' than the 'shocking in pink' display they delivered in Anoeta in August.
The did make a nervous start however with Toni Kroos, English referee Martin Atkinson’s first booking and Lucas Silva – the 22-year-old Brazilian making his debut in midfield – almost following him with a foul on the edge of the area that Klass-Jan Huntelaar smashed into the wall.
Schalke were soaking up Madrid pressure and creating chances themselves with Dennis Aogo blasting over after finding more time and space than Carlo Ancelotti would have been happy with down the Real Madrid right. The left wing-back also caught Ronaldo and left him temporarily hobbling but the Portuguese got back into his stride and put Real Madrid in front.
Right back Dani Carvajal got forward down the right and sent a hanging cross to the edge of the Schalke six-yard-box. The Germans had three central defenders on the pitch but none of them tracked Ronaldo who climbed to nod past Wellenreuther.
Benzema could have made it two from Kroos’ pass but was denied by the teenage goalkeeper but things were now going downhill fast for Schalke. Huntelaar limped off after a shin-pad to shin-pad crunch with Raphael Varane and Kevin Prince Boateng was booked meaning he will miss the second leg next month.
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