Kroos warns Real Madrid against complacency

HAVING routed Schalke on their last Gelsenkirchen visit, Real Madrid return to Germany for Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 first-leg clash, with Toni Kroos warning the Spanish giants against complacency.

 Real ran riot at Schalke’s Veltins Arena at exactly the same stage of the competition last February, when Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale each scored two goals in a 6-1 thrashing as part of a 9-2 aggregate victory.

  It was Schalke’s heaviest European home defeat until the margin was matched when Chelsea drubbed the hosts 5-0 in Gelsenkirchen in the group stages last November.

 Real have won only three of their 27 trips to Germany, but two of the victories came last year, when they smashed Schalke and then routed Bayern Munich 4-0 in their semi-final second leg.

  Holders, Real will arrive in Germany with a lengthy injury list, with Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, James Rodriguez, Sami Khedira and Fabio Coentrao all ruled out.

  Carlo Ancelotti’s Spanish league leaders are struggling for form after being hammered 4-0 at Atletico Madrid ten days ago and labouring to a 2-0 home win over Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.

 “You don’t win anything by going through the motions, that also goes for Real Madrid,” said their Germany midfielder, Kroos. “If we have two good days, we can go very far, but only then.”

 Real defender Pepe is rated as doubtful as he recovers from a rib injury. Real superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is struggling with the patella tendon injury in his left knee that affected him towards the end of last season and at the World Cup.