Real Madrid are set to find out tomorrow whether UEFA have approved their request to close the roof of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu for their quarterfinal clash against Manchester City.
The ground lies in the heart of the Spanish capital and seats more than 80,000 fans – and los Blancos are hoping to gain an extra advantage when they welcome Pep Guardiola’s side on Tuesday by creating a cauldron-like atmosphere with a closed roof.
Tuesday’s hosts were comprehensively defeated by the Cityzens in the second leg of last year’s UEFA Champions League semifinal, with the Mancunian side going on to complete a historic treble in Istanbul.
Embed from Getty ImagesReal Madrid are keen to avoid suffering the same fate this year, and hope that a closed roof will contribute to a ferocious atmosphere. Fans also issued an appeal during their recent match against Athletic Bilbao for all supporters to don white clothing on Tuesday, to create a striking visual wall of los Blancos fans.
The roof was closed for Real Madrid’s round-of-sixteen victory against RB Leipzig, and Carlo Ancelotti’s side will find out on Tuesday if their request has been approved this time around. Kickoff in Madrid is scheduled for 20:00 BST.