Schalke v Real Madrid preview

• Roberto Di Matteo wants Schalke to show they "are a better team" than last year
• Madrid won 6-1 in this fixture 12 months ago before triumphing 3-1 in the second leg
• Carlo Ancelotti says Madrid are still trying to put the Atlético loss behind them
• No3 goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther, 19, will make his competition debut
• Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, serving a domestic ban, is set for his first game since 31 January

Possible lineups
Schalke: Wellenreuther; Höwedes, Matip, Nastasić; Uchida, Fuchs; Kirchhoff, Höger, Boateng; Choupo-Moting, Huntelaar.
• Out: Fährmann (knee), Kolašinac (knee), Goretzka (hamstring), Draxler (hamstring), Farfán (knee), Obasi (shinbone), Giefer (groin)

Madrid: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo; Lucas Silva, Kroos, Isco; Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema.
• Out: James Rodríguez (right foot), Khedira (hamstring), Ramos (hamstring), Modrić (thigh)

Roberto Di Matteo, Schalke coach
We enter this game with the intention of winning it, of course, but we know we are up against very tough opposition. They are the champions, but we have to try to win it.

It will be a test for us, to see how far we have come in Europe, how we have developed and improved. Of course Real are the favourites, but I believe that by now we have a certain [level of] experience in these games and I hope we can demonstrate that.

We all have the same opinion of Cristiano Ronaldo. He is a player who is capable of deciding games on his own. You have to defend against him as a team. He might not be displaying his usual stellar form, but he is still capable of deciding a game by himself.

My experience as an underdog [with Chelsea FC] doesn't really help that much. I am with a different team now and will try to prepare this one as well as possible. I will try to draw on my experience and so will the players. We want to show we have improved and are a better team than in the past.

Of course we have all seen that Madrid have shown certain weaknesses in the past three or four weeks, so we will focus on capitalising on them. Every team has weaknesses. Nevertheless, they are still a side with very good players.

Carlo Ancelotti, Madrid coach
It is good to be back in the Champions League and we want to put in a good performance. I am not worried. Motivation is always high, as it is in the league. We are top of the league! We are Champions League holders and will give our all to defend the title.

After a result like the one against Atlético, it is all about turning things around as quickly as possible. Against Deportivo, Cristiano Ronaldo was in good physical shape. He has not scored for a little while [a month or three games], but he will have a chance to rectify that soon enough.

We are still thinking about our lineup because quite a few things have changed at Schalke since last year. In particular, the system has been altered. They might play a back three, for example. We will not change our own system. We have to play with intensity, win balls back early in defence and try to find the gaps in attack early on.

Defending the Champions League title is a fantastic motivation. Last year we were here with the dream of winning the Champions League. Now we have the same dream. History says it will be really difficult, almost impossible, but we have to try.

Weekend results
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 Schalke (Piazón 64)
Madrid 2-0 RC Deportivo La Coruña (Isco 22, Benzema 73)

Form guide (all competitions)
Schalke: LWDWDW
Madrid: WLWWWW

Match facts
• Schalke were one of three Bundesliga teams Madrid encountered en route to winning the competition last season. Who were the other two? Find out in our extensive match background.