It wasn’t much of a shocker when Real Madrid earned a 2-0 win over FC Schalke 04 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal to make it seven wins in seven games in this season’s competition. Now the two teams head to the Santiago Bernabeu for the second leg and given how Real Madrid has performed in this tournament, it would take a small miracle for the underdogs to even win this game, let alone rally back.
Meanwhile, there is much more intrigue when it comes to the upcoming second leg between FC Basel and FC Porto after the two settled for a draw in their opening leg with the Portuguese side getting that very important road goal. We’re moving into the second leg of Champions League quarterfinals, so let’s take a look at what we can expect from the Tuesday games:
FC Porto vs. FC Basel – Tuesday, 3:45 p.m. ET
Champions League Odds: Porto -225, Basel +650, Draw +320
A late goal from Danilo on a penalty kick in the 79th minute helped Porto earn an important 1-1 draw and take the advantage on the away goal as they head home from the second leg. Basel had taken the lead on an early goal from Derlis Gonzalez but the host side couldn’t hold on as they desperately tried to take the 1-0 result in to the second leg. Basel held up well for a while until late in the second half when the constant pressure finally forced a mistake that the visiting side was able to capitalize on with Danilo stepping to the spot.
Basel boss Paulo Sousa has won just twice in 13 meetings with Porto and it will be interesting to see if his approach to this game is changed in any way. Porto is one of only three unbeaten sides left in the competition but it won’t take a loss for them to be eliminated. A 1-1 draw would at least force extra time and perhaps penalties while a 2-2 draw would mean Basel goes through. There will be a lot of pressure on the home side in this game but they have the talent to keep the Basel attack in check. That’s why they’re heavily favored even though a 0-0 draw is good enough for them. As long as they don’t concede a goal, they will be through to the next round. Pick: Draw, 0-0
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Real Madrid vs. FC Schalke 04 – Tuesday, 3:45 p.m. ET
Champions League Odds: Real Madrid -563, Schalke +1450, Draw +649
FC Schalke will have a much tougher time keeping the Real Madrid attack in check after the Spanish giants took control of their quarterfinal with a 2-0 win in the first leg. Cristiano Ronaldo led the way, opening up the scoring for Real Madrid in just the 26th minute. In the second half, Marcelo provided some insurance with a second away goal in the 79th that sent the home fans home feeling a little emptier than they would have hoped. Carlo Ancelotti’s side has been perfect in the Champions League to this point and there isn’t much reason to expect any let up in front of the home audience – especially after they settled for a draw and conceded two points to Barcelona atop the La Liga standings last weekend. It’s hard to see them losing focus two games in a row.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvteBu5TutQ
Schalke fans will cling to substitute Felix Platte’s shot that rang off the cross bar late in the opening leg as a sign there could be hope for them to find their way but it could very well already be too little, too late against a Real Madrid side that already appears destined to advance to the next round. Schalke kept their opening leg respectable at home but if Madrid gets on the board early in this one, it could very well get out of hand in a hurry. As the odds indicate, expect a Real Madrid win and advancement through to the next round. Pick: Real Madrid, 3-0
