After last season's demolition at the hands of Real Madrid, the last thing Schalke would have wanted was a return to the Bernabeu. However, the drawn has thrown up the fixture for the second successive term and the Royal Blues are keen to turn things around.
Schalke captain Benedikt Höwedes was positive, despite the result in last year, "We know that we took a hammering against them last year and that Real Madrid are one of the best teams in the world. However, every team is beatable. We will do all we can to cause an upset against the defending champions."
The in-form Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting shared his skipper's view and is looking forward to the game. "It just had to be – Real Madrid against Schalke once again. Personally, I’m looking forward to the games because they are one of the best teams in the world and I haven’t had the chance to play against them so far in my career. I think that we will do better against them than we did last year. Things have changed since then."
Los Blancos' head of Public Relations and legendary striker, Emilio Butragueño, is way of how the tide of football can turn, "Our view about the draw is an optimistic one. We have the great experience of last year, when we practically decided the tie in the first leg, but we know that football can be cruel and it will be harder this year. We have to be cautious."
He continued to be respectful of the threat Schalke pose, "They are very competitive and have a loyal fan base. We'll have to try for a similar result to last year's in order to kill things off in Madrid. There were tougher opponents theoretically, but 90 minutes in Germany will be difficult. A lapse of concentration can cost you dearly. As such, we have the upmost respect for the opposition, a club we have a strong relationship with."
Quotes via both respective club websites.