Real Madrid’s Bernabeu home with the roof closed (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Real Madrid have had a special request to close the Santiago Bernabeu roof for tonight’s Champions League quarter-final clash against Manchester City granted by UEFA.
The 14-time European Cup winners host the Champions League holders at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night.
It’s a repeat of last season’s semi-final, which saw City progress 5-1 on aggregate.
Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw during the first leg, having taken the lead through Vinicius Jr.
But they were blown away in the second leg, when Carlo Ancelotti said his players froze at the Etihad.
Madrid want to recreate a similar atmosphere in order to give themselves the best chance ahead of their trip to Manchester.
That’s seen the club send a request to UEFA for the Bernabeu roof to be closed for the fixture against City.
The Bernabeu after its recent renovation (Photo by Ruben Albarran/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Closing the roof ensures the noise whipped up by supporters is louder, with 85,000 fans expected in the Bernabeu tonight.
It’s the ideal opportunity for Madrid to show off the recent £1bn renovations they’ve made to their famous home.
And UEFA have granted Madrid their request, affording them the same chance to close the roof like they did against Leipzig in the previous round.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.