Before Benfica v Real Madrid, Estádio da Luz marked a special occasion | OneFootball

The history of Real Madrid is filled with pages and pages of glory, but one of the most iconic was written right at the Estádio da Luz. Tomorrow’s match against Benfica, counting for the final round of the Champions League group stage, will draw attention for the duel between José Mourinho and Álvaro Arbeloa, but it will also be a reunion with history itself.

It was at the home of the Eagles that the Merengues won their tenth Champions League title, thus breaking a long drought that had lasted since 2002. The fans have not forgotten that piece of glory, and on Tuesday night a mural was painted on the walls of the Estádio da Luz to remember it.

In that legendary match, when rivals Atlético Madrid were ahead, Luka Modric sent a ball into the box from a corner, and Sergio Ramos appeared in the heart of the area to head in the equalizer. It happened precisely when the clock showed 92 minutes and 48 seconds. That goal turned the final on its head, and in extra time, the Merengues ended up sealing a rout, with Cristiano Ronaldo (who convinced Javi García to move to Benfica) setting the final score at 4-1 with a penalty. It was exactly this - "92:48" - that was graffitied on one of the stadium’s walls.

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 Eagles won 5-3.

The match between Benfica and Real Madrid is scheduled for today, January 28. The stage for the encounter will be the Estádio da Luz, the ball will start rolling at 8:00 p.m., and the match 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.