The stakes will be high when Real Madrid host Manchester City in the first leg of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals tonight, which is why Los Blancos know every detail matters.
According to The Athletic, the LaLiga giants have been granted permission by UEFA to close the roof at the Santiago Bernabeu for tonight’s match. The Merengues reportedly feel this could help to boost the atmosphere at the stadium.
Arancha Rodríguez of Deportes Cope also claims fans will deploy a 360 degree tifo, so it’s safe to say the environment at the Bernabeu will be quite special tonight. Of course, it’s a big Champions League match and Madrid fans know it.
“Santiago Bernabéu with closed roof? I’m curious to see it because I’ve never played an official game in this condition. I’m excited to see it,” Man City manager Pep Guardiola said ahead of the match.
Real Madrid have already played with the Bernabeu’s roof closed
The Santiago Bernabeu was added a retractable roof as part of its huge renovation plan started in 2019, in a project that cost the club about $1.91 billion. But this will not be the first time Real Madrid play with the roof closed.
The club had already made the best of the stadium’s new feature in September 2023, in a 2-1 home win over Getafe. The Bernabeu’s roof was also closed in March for the the return leg of the Champions League round of 16, a 1-1 draw against Leipzig (Madrid won 2-1 on aggregate).
Real Madrid and Man City once again meet in the UCL
Real Madrid and Manchester City are familiar foes by now, as this will be the fourth time they meet in the Champions League knockout stages in the last five editions.
In 2020, Pep Guardiola’s side gained the upper hand 4-2 on aggregate to knock Madrid out in the round of 16, with Zinedine Zidane still at the helm of Los Blancos.
These teams put on a show when they faced each other again two years later, with the Spanish side emerging victorious. In one of their epic comeback wins en route to the title, Real Madrid forced the extra time at the Bernabeu to win 6-5 on aggregate and punch a ticket to the grand final.
2023 saw these clubs face off in the final four again, but this time it was City’s turn to celebrate. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Spain, Guardiola’s men were merciless in Manchester as they won 4-0 to reach the final, where they beat Inter Milan to end their continental drought. In 2024, a place in the UCL semifinals will be up for grabs between these two European powerhouses.