Another Real implosion further vexes Ancelotti

Madrid boss at a loss to explain team's ineptitude

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said he is at a loss to explain the European champion's dramatic slump as it sneaked into the quarterfinals of the Champions League despite losing 4-3 to Schalke on Tuesday.

A 2-0 first-leg advantage was just enough to carry Los Blancos 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.