Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos says he hopes his team can end their recent poor form with a convincing display against Schalke.
Los Blancos take on the Germans in a Champions League second-leg clash at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, having won the first game 2-0, and Kroos is banking on it proving a turning point as Carlo Ancelotti’s men look to get their season back on track.
“Our aim is to qualify for the quarter-finals and we want to put on a good performance against Schalke,” Kroos told a Press conference.
“We want to go through in front of our own fans. We’ll see what the final score is but it’s about more than that. It’s about our season.
“Schalke won’t change their style for this match and they’ll try to keep it tight at the back while slowly going on the attack as the tie progresses. After all, they are two goals down.
“They will give their all to get back into it and we expect to come up against a hard-to-beat and highly-motivated team.”
Kroos admits that Madrid’s priority is to reach the final in Berlin and become the first side to ever successfully defend their Champions League trophy.
“A club such as Real Madrid always tries to win the lot and winning the Champions League is our short-term aim this year.
“My long-term objective, for as long as I have a contract here, is to try and play an important part in obtaining silverware for this club,” he concluded.