Intro:

Real Madrid look ahead to the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against Schalke 04 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on Tuesday.

Script:

SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid midfielder:
"Yes, it is indeed the first encounter of these two teams on an international stage. However, Schalke 04 has great international experience. They have managed to get into the final stages of the last Champions League seasons. I'm not sure, but one time it was the quarterfinals or semifinals. So this shows a certain strength and international experience of the players accordingly. That is why we are giving them great respect, because it can in fact become a difficult game for us. And Schalke has the advantage of playing at home - they have got their fans behind them. The massive support speaks for them. And that is why we must be highly concentrated. It will be a difficult task, because the opposing team has a physical game, but they have technical skills as well. So, we are warned, but at the same time we are well prepared."