Manchester City have travelled to Madrid for a repeat of last season’s Champions League semi-final, when they drew at the Bernabeu before thumping Real Madrid at home
Real Madrid want to close the roof at the Bernabeu for Tuesday’s Champions League showdown with Manchester City – to make the atmosphere even more hostile.
The Spanish giants have asked UEFA for permission to close the retractable roof at their newly-renovated stadium to intimidate Pep Guardiola and his players. The 14-time winners have also urged Real fans to wear all-white in the stands, with winger Vinicius Jnr taking to social media to encourage supporters to don the famous home kit.
City are powerless to stop the roof from being shut – and UEFA will hold a meeting on Tuesday morning, with referee Francois Letexier, before deciding whether to grant Real’s wish. It means holders City will face an even more febrile atmosphere at the 81,000-capacity Bernabeu, which will be full, with Real looking to avenge last season’s exit to Guardiola’s men.
After a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their semi-final, City crushed Real 4-0 at the Etihad in the return leg, before beating Inter Milan in the final. Guardiola is seen as the enemy by Real and their fans, due to his long association with their bitter rivals Barcelona.
But the Spaniard claimed these ties are the occasions he lives for and said: “I love this business. I have a very good time, I’m well paid and I enjoy it.
“I love the competition and I love to come here. I like to go to every stadium that we play. I love it. The day that I don’t have a good time, I will go home.”
City made it through to the quarter-finals after a comfortable win over FC Copenhagen in the round of 16, while Real Madrid claimed a 2-1 aggregate victory over RB Leipzig. Whoever progresses from their quarter-final will face either Bayern Munich or Arsenal in the semis.
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“Of course we have the experience of last year, but we don’t think much of that,” City midfielder Rodri said on Monday. “We will face a different Real Madrid, they play differently, and every season is different.
“We come here with one of the best versions of ourselves this season. I think we will always face the favourites of this competition [at some stage]. We know each other quite well in the last few years. We expect such a tough game tomorrow.”
“I said we face a different Real Madrid because I think they play differently,” the former Atletico Madrid star added. “They don’t play the same way. They control and have a different way of playing. We respect Real. We know whatever happens it will never be finished. Even if things go good or bad tomorrow, we have the second leg.”
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
