DID YOU KNOW?
* Schalke have won all of their home games in the Champions League so far this season. However, the last time the Royal Blues played in front of their own supporters in the knockout rounds of the competition, they went down 1-0 to Barcelona.
* The Miners reached the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition in 2007-08 after getting past Porto in the last 16.
* Schalke have won only one of their last 10 encounters against Spanish oppositions and have managed to score just three goals in the process.
* Striker Raul needs one more goal to equal Filippo Inzaghi's record of 70 goals in European club competitions. Interestingly, all of the Spanish veteran's strikes have come in the Champions League.
* Schalke head into this encounter on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Stuttgart that stations them just five points above the relegation zone in the German Bundesliga.
* Valencia have won just once in 10 visits to Germany - that 1-0 win came against Schalke in the group stage of the Champions League in 2007-08. Of the other nine matches, los Che have lost seven and drawn two.
* Unai Emery's side didn't lose any of their three away games in the group stage in the competition this season. They destroyed Bursaspor 4-0 in Turkey and drew 1-1 with both Rangers and Manchester United on the road.
* Midfielder David Albelda will make his 50th Champions League appearance with Valencia if he features against Schalke.
* Valencia defender Ricardo Costa played under current Schalke coach Felix Magath when the duo were at Schalke.
* Los Che warmed up for this encounter with a 2-1 away victory over Real Mallorca in the Spanish Primera Division and consolidated their place in third spot.
LAST MEETING
January 15, 2011: Valencia 1-1 Schalke
Roberto Soldado gave Valencia the lead after 17 minutes when he turned in Jeremy Mathieu's cross from the left wing into the bottom right corner. However, Schalke striker Raul restored parity three minutes after the hour-mark. Lukas Schmitz was sent off for the visitors in the final minutes of the match for two bookable offences.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Schalke: Neuer; Uchida, Howedes, Metzelder, Sarpei; Matip, Kluge; Farfan, Raul, Jurado; Edu
Valencia: Guaita; Bruno, D. Navarro, R. Costa, Mathieu; Banega, Topal; Pablo, T. Costa, Mata; Soldado
Prediction
Valencia will not buckle in Germany and given their firepower, they will know that they can score against Schalke. The German Bundesliga club are in turmoil at the moment and Europe is their salvation, which adds extra pressure on them. However, Schalke would think that they have done enough with the away goal scored at the Mestalla.
Schalke 04 2-1 Valencia 
