A storm is brewing in Madrid. Real want to harness the power of the Bernabéu and take the Citizens by surprise from the first minute

A huge duel awaits us on Wednesday night. Real Madrid will take on Manchester City in the Champions League semi-final and the result of the first leg (4:3) promises to be extremely interesting. How are Los Blancos preparing for their opponent?

Real Madrid won their 35th league title at the weekend and Madrid erupted in celebrations. There was a great atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabéu, which later moved to Cibeles Square, where Real regularly celebrate their titles.

Logically, the celebrations were neither extremely long nor wild, as Real already have an extremely difficult match against the Citizens on Wednesday. Thus, they served more to bring the players closer to the fans and to feel their support. Even though the league title was being celebrated, chants of “Sí se puede,” “A por el Miércoles,” or “Nos Vamos a París,” were often chanted at the Bernabéu and Cibeles, i.e. chants aimed at turning the Champions League around.

And it’s the magical Bernabéu that Real Madrid is counting on. For Real Madrid’s hallowed stand bears the past glory of a stadium that has seen incredible turnarounds. The creator of this reputation is Real Madrid legend Juanito. In European Cups, it has happened more than once that the Merengues have lost their first match on the opponents’ ground. But it was the heartthrob and fighter Juanito who managed to encourage his team so much that in the rematch in Madrid the White Ballet erased the deficit and advanced.

Borussia Mönchengladbach won 5-1 at home, but even that result was not enough to advance. Celtic and Anderlecht also succumbed to the Bernabéu’s magic, the most famous being the 1985/86 season, when Inter won the UEFA Cup semi-final 2-0. “90 minutes at the Bernabéu is a very long time. Real actually won 3-0 at home and advanced.

In 2016, another comeback came when Real lost 0:2 to Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals of the LM. But in the rematch at the Bernabéu, the spirit of Juanito was reincarnated in Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick to turn the tide.

The continuing magic of the Bernabéu

And the magic of the Santiago Bernabéu is still evident this season. In the semi-final, Real brought home a 0-1 defeat from Paris, going into the cabins after 45 minutes with a 0-2 scoreline. But in the second half, a white storm erupted in the stadium and Benzema scored a hat-trick to down PSG.

Chelsea were 3-0 up at the Bernabéu and heading into the semi-finals. But once again the Bernabéu magic worked as Real Madrid rose from the dead to advance thanks to two goals.

And the Merengues will want to rely on the stands of the 66,000-seat stadium (reduced capacity due to renovations) on Wednesday night as well. According to Diario AS, Ancelotti wants to start the game with aggressive pressing to ensure Real take full advantage of the intimidating crowd at the Bernabéu. The plan is to score a quick goal to even the score.

After all, Real came away from Manchester with a 3-4 defeat, which was still merciful for Los Blancos. However, the cards may well turn in the rematch as the Citizens are a completely different team away, just like Real Madrid at their hallowed Bernabéu.

Twice already this Champions League season, Real have managed to turn the score around at their stadium. Will it manage to do it for a third time all right?

Source: Diario AS, Real Madrid