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Ronaldo won't be stopped by a parked bus

PARKEN den bus. You don't need to be a linguist to figure out what that means in German and it's precisely what Roberto Di Matteo will be getting his lads at Schalke to do against Real Madrid.

Now, there's two ways of looking at this.

First, we all remember how dull and well-organised the Chelsea side Di Matteo led to Champions League glory was, so he can hardly be blamed if he does opt for the bus-parking approach, can he?

But, as anyone who remembers Schalke trying to play Real at their own game 12 months ago and losing the home leg 6-1, we'd be gutted if Di Matteo tells his lads to sit tight. Where's the fun in that?

Schalke against Real this time last year was the ultimate mismatch. If it was a comedy laugh-off, it was Fry and Laurie versus Hale and Pace. Class against crap.

And those of us who chuckled at Schalke's suicidal tactics back then have been busily figuring out just how much to chuck at over 4.5 goals and Real on the handicap. And then Di Matteo remembers his Chelsea days, has a change of heart and suddenly the best-laid plans are out of the window. Hell, I even read on one German website that one of their players even thinks they can now win the tie.

Before we get too carried away with all this daft talk of an upset, there's probably a reason why Manuel Pellegrini reckoned Matija Nastasic wasn't good enough for Man City but is good enough for Schalke, so I'll just stick with backing Real-Real on the double result market.

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