Real advance to CL quarters despite 'shocking' 3-4 second leg loss to Schalke

Defending champions Real Madrid advanced to their fifth successive Champions League quarterfinal despite suffering a shocking 3-4 defeat against German side Schalke in the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night.

Trailing 2-0 after the first leg, defender Christian Fuchs put Schalke ahead in the 20th minute before World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo secured an equalizer five minutes later.

Subsequently, Schalke led again as Klass-Jan Huntelaar netted a left-footed shot to the top left corner in the 40th minute before Ronaldo levelled again five minutes later. Though Karim Benzema gave the hosts the advantage shortly after the break, goals from Leroy Sane and Huntelaar saw a below-par Real endure a nervous finale in a thrilling contest, the BBC reported.

The nail-biting tie also saw Portuguese international Ronaldo becoming the highest goal scorer of the Champions League with his brace against the Bundesliga side.