Opta Stats: Real Madrid to again show Schalke no mercy

Carlo Ancelotti oversaw the thrashing of Schalke last season

Real Madrid will score more than FC Basel and Porto combined on Wednesday, judging by these Opta insights...

Both matches are on Wednesday on 19:45

FC Basel v Porto

FC Basel have conceded just three goals in their last seven Champions League home games

Of all this week's round-of-16 ties, this is the one ripest for an under-2.5-goals plunder. In addition to conceding very rarely at home in Europe, FC Basel don't score too often either, with Ludogorets the only of their past ten Champions League visitors to be breached more than once. Porto averaged under a goal a game in their previous five away knockout fixtures, firing blanks in three of those.

Recommended Bet: Back under 2.5 goals @ 1.75/7

Porto's last 13 Champions League goals have all been scored from the 45th minute onwards

There wasn't a first-half strike in any of Porto's previous three Champions League matches, despite the second halves of those encounters serving up seven goals, and the sole pre-interval net-rippler of their most recent five continental clashes came in the 45th minute. FC Basel notched before the break in just one of their last six home Champions League outings, and that was against Ludogorets.

Recommended Bet: Back the half time score to be 0-0 @ 2.77/4

Schalke v Real Madrid

Schalke have conceded 19 goals in their last six Champions League knockout games

Opta note that Schalke are in the knockout phase for the fourth time in five seasons, but they often appear out of their depth on arrival. They were thumped 9-2 on aggregate by Real Madrid last term and leaked three at home to Galatasaray in 2012/13. There will be no shame if Real fire three times or more again in Gelsenkirchen though - they have hit those heights eight times since December alone.

Recommended Bet: Back Real Madrid to score three goals or more @ 2.56/4

75% of Real Madrid's Champions League goals this season have come in the first half (12 out of 16)

Whereas the trends in FC Basel v Porto point to an uneventful first half, Real Madrid deal in the opposite. Five of their six group matches featured more goals before half time than after, and the exception at home to Ludogorets saw two either side. There wasn't a second-half goal in Schalke's last three fixtures at the Veltins-Arena, with six of the latest eight delivering more between 0-45 than 46-90.

Recommended Bet: Back the first half to have the most goals @ 3.185/40