Football
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Madrid not complacent after last year's rout of Schalke - Butragueno

Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno says the European champions face a "difficult" last-16 Champions League tie against Schalke, despite beating them comprehensively at the same stage of the competition last season.

Madrid ran riot against the Bundesliga club last term, progressing to the quarterfinals with a 9-2 win on aggregate, before going on to lift the trophy in May.

However, despite the one-sided scoreline, former Blancos player Butragueno believes the La Liga club will be up against it when they travel to the Veltins-Arena for the first leg on Feb. 18.

"Last year, we were very lucky there in the first leg. They will do their best, especially with the support from their fans. I think it's going to be difficult. It's going to be very tight," he told reporters.

"This competition is very, very difficult. Every detail is going to be important. Schalke are very competitive. I have been in football for many, many years and the Champions League is a very difficult competition."

After last year's humiliation, which included 6-1 and 3-1 defeats, Schalke finance executive Peter Peters says the club are eager to improve on their performance this time around.

"Real Madrid are a fantastic team, the best in the world," Peters told Sky Deutschland. "Of course they are favourites. But we want to be better than last year. And form beats quality."

Schalke captain Benedikt Howedes echoed Peters' comments, telling the club's official website: "Real Madrid are one of the best teams in the world right now. But you can also beat those teams. We will give it our all to come out on top against the title holders."

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who joined Schalke from Mainz ahead of the current season, said he is "looking forward" to the games against "one of the best teams in the world."

"I have never played against them, and I think we'll be better than last year," he added.

The tie's second leg takes place at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on March 10.

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