Gelsenkirchen: Title holders Real Madrid have one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals after beating Schalke in the last 16 first leg in Germany for a second year running on Wednesday.


Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after the last 16, first-leg UEFA Champions League football match FC Schalke 04 vs Real Madrid in Gelsenkirchen. Pic/AFP

A Cristiano Ronaldo header gave Real a deserved lead at the break and Marcelo rifled home a superb second goal with 11 minutes left as the Spanish league leaders stretched their winning streak in the competition to 10 games equalling Bayern Munich's record winning run which ended in December 2013. Ronaldo's goal, his first in four matches, was his 73rd in the Champions League.