Two clubs chasing UEFA Champions League glory will do battle today in a match between Real Madrid and Schalke 04. The Round of 16 clash scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET will be held at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and can be live streamed here free. Additional TV coverage can be found on Fox Sports 1.
What They're Saying
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti (via UEFA): "[Karim] Benzema, [Gareth] Bale and Cristiano [Ronaldo] will continue in the starting lineup and in the same positions. I trust them. They have scored less in recent games because the team is not helping the forwards. [After Saturday's 1-0 loss at Athletic Club] I tried to tell my players what I thought. We are making too many passes and our game is not fast enough."
Schalke 04 manager Roberto Di Matteo: "We will try to start the match with a strong lineup of players who are in good shape. Athletic are a good team at home and they didn't allow Madrid to play in the style they are used to. Tomorrow [Tuesday] will be different. Three weeks ago I was asked about the crisis at Madrid, but I don't think there is a crisis. It would be a sensational experience for us to win. If we start scoring, it could get interesting."
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: Benzema needs to return to form for Madrid to escape its current funk. In six Champions League appearances, the 27-year-old has five goals and one assist.
Real Madrid's Projected Lineup (4-3-3): Casillas; Carvajal, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo; Lucas Silva, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo
Besiktas' Projected Lineup (3-5-2): Wellenreuther; Höwedes, Matip, Nastasić; Uchida, Fuchs; Neustädter, Barnetta, Meyer; Choupo-Moting, Huntelaar
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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