‘Rock bottom’: Cristiano Ronaldo sets record and Real Madrid advance, but it’s not pretty

'It is clear we have hit rock bottom in a spectacular way' said Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas on Tuesday after a 4-3 loss to Schalke that had Madrid just squeaking through in the Champions League 5-4 on aggregate.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid leaves the pitch after his team’s 4-3 loss to Schalke in the Uefa Champions League last-16 second leg on Tuesday night. Madrid advanced nonetheless 5-4 on aggregate. GShow more

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti confessed he is at a loss to explain the European champions' dramatic slump in form as they sneaked into the quarter-finals of the Uefa Champions League despite losing 4-3 to Schalke on Tuesday.

A 2-0 first-leg advantage was just enough to carry Madrid into the last eight for a fifth consecutive season on a night when Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievement in becoming the all-time leading scorer in European competitions was overshadowed.

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Ronaldo twice equalised in the first half to surpass Madrid legend Raul with 78 goals in European competitions after Christian Fuchs and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had given Schalke the lead.

Karim Benzema then put Madrid in front before Leroy Sane and a stunning strike from Huntelaar gave Schalke victory.

Ancelotti’s men swept all before them in a 22-game winning run to end 2014 with a club record haul of four trophies for a calendar year after adding the Fifa Club World Cup to their European crown, Copa del Rey and Uefa Super Cup.

However, since the turn of the year they have lost five times in 15 games to surrender their position atop the Primera Liga to Barcelona and were on the verge of suffering one of the biggest shocks in Champions League history.

“We are playing very badly. It is quite incomprehensible after what we did until December,” said Ancelotti.

“It is clear I feel very sorry because everyone has seen we played very badly. This is not good for the image of the club.

“It is normal that the players lack confidence. I think we have dipped a bit physically too. We had problems in every aspect of the game: offensive, defensive, desire, fight and concentration.”

Ancelotti was even asked whether he fears the sack in the coming days with a crucial clasico match against Barcelona in the title race to come on March 22.

The Italian said he still has faith in the players that carried the club to their 10th European Cup win just 10 months ago.

“I don’t think about this. I continue doing my job, but I need to do it better. This is the responsibility of the coach to put out a team that can play better than they did tonight,” he said.

“I continue having total confidence in this squad because I know what they can do. We are not doing it at the moment and we need to work harder, train harder, do everything better.”

Madrid captain Iker Casillas said the Spanish giants had hit “rock bottom” after a three-game winless streak.

“It is clear we have hit rock bottom in a spectacular way, but the positive thing is that a week on Friday we will be in the draw and we can forget the past 10 days,” said the Spain national team captain.

Ancelotti said that things can turn around for the better just as quickly as they have deteriorated, especially with key players such as Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric returning from injury.

Modric made his return after four months out for the final half an hour against Schalke, while Ramos is expected to make an appearance when Levante visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

“Things change quickly in football as we have seen. No one in December would imagine what we are going through now,” said Ancelotti.

“The presence of Modric gives us more control and more possession in midfield.

“We can’t ask too much of him because he was out for four months. I think he did well for 30 minutes.

“He is going to help us in the next games, as will Sergio Ramos with his qualities and character.”

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