Real Madrid thrashed off the pitch ahead of Benfica clash | OneFootball

With Benfica tickets long sold out, Real Madrid will have around 1,500 supporters in the stands at Estádio da Luz, half of the 3,000 tickets they were entitled to. Neither the proximity nor the fact that the Eagles’ stadium is part of the recent history of the Merengues convinced them to travel en masse.

In May 2014, with Ronaldo and Di María in the starting eleven, and Arbeloa on the bench, Real claimed their tenth title, putting an end to a long period without winning the Champions League, by defeating (4-1) their rivals Atlético. Sergio Ramos equalized in stoppage time and, in extra time, Gareth Bale, Marcelo, and Ronaldo sealed the comeback. The minute of Sergio Ramos’ goal, 92:48, was graffitied at Estádio da Luz.

That title marked a turning point in the recent history of the Spanish giant. In the ten years that followed, Real celebrated five more times. The club from the Spanish capital leads the UEFA club ranking and occupies 3rd place in the Champions League group stage, with 15 points.

This clash between the Eagles and the Merengues is a legendary rivalry in European football. Besides being the two teams with the most appearances in the prestigious competition, the two sides faced each other in the final of the 1961/1962 European Cup, where the Reds won 5-3.

The duel between Benfica and Real Madrid is scheduled for today, January 28. The stage for the match will be Estádio da Luz, the ball will start rolling at 8pm, and the game will be refereed by Italian Davide Massa, with VAR duties assigned to Marco Di Bello.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.