Almost 4,000 Atletico Madrid fans will march up Madrid's grand Paseo de la Castellana on Wednesday to watch their team play at the Santiago Bernabeu, home of arch-rivals Real Madrid.
It will be the eighth time the pair have met since contesting last season’s European Cup final in Lisbon, when they become the first teams from one city to meet in a final. Real Madrid won their 10th European Cup after extra-time but have been unable to overcome Atletico since.
The pair drew 0-0 in the last week’s first leg, a game in which Carlo Ancelotti’s side initially dominated but in which Atletico soaked up their attacks with confidence. Atletico have drawn two (1-1 and 2-2) and won one of their games at the Bernabeu this season.
A repeat of any of those scores would be enough to see Atletico through to the semi-finals and another round of speculation about the future of Ancelotti’s job.
Madrid, attempting to become the first team since AC Milan in 1990 to retain the European Cup, remain favourites.
Ancelotti was a Milan player when they lifted the trophy in 1989 and 1990 and is attempting to become the first coach to win Europe’s biggest cup competition four times.
History is on his side, with Madrid winning all but one of their 22 previous European games where they have drawn the away leg first.
If they are to triumph on Wednesday it will be without the key midfield creative force of Luka Modric, absent with a knee injury. Gareth Bale (calf) and Karim Benzema (knee) are also doubts. The absence of all three would seriously hamper a Madrid side already missing the suspended Marcelo.
Modric isn’t the only Croatian out, with Atletico striker Mario Mandzukic, bloodied from confrontations in last week’s engrossing first leg, a doubt with an ankle injury. His teammate Mario Suarez is also out.
Jese and Javier Hernandez are alternatives in Madrid’s attack, but neither have been given sufficient minutes by Ancelotti to hit form this season.
After failing to get beyond the last 16 for seven years before 2011, Madrid have been a force in Europe since and were on an 11-match winning run until they were defeated 4-3 by Schalke at home in the last 16. They had already won 2-0 in Germany and the home defeat which followed was their first in Europe since Barcelona eliminated them in the 2011 semi-finals.
The rivalry is intense. Diego Simeone promotes unity and an indomitable team spirit among his players, though rivals players are often friends off the pitch. Marcelo and Miranda are teammates for Brazil; Cristiano Ronaldo, Fabio Coentrao, Pepe and Tiago all play for Portugal.
Madrid defender Raphael Varane could well mark his French international teammate and Atletico’s top scorer, the in-form Antoine Griezmann.
Spanish internationals include Juanfran, Koke and Mario Suarez from Atletico, with Isco, Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal and Iker Casillas for Real Madrid.
Both teams continued their excellent league form and won at the weekend to keep pressure on leaders Barcelona, but only one can go through on Wednesday.
“We are pleased with our performances this season against Real, but we know that we are going to suffer a lot on Wednesday,” said Griezmann, who has been excellent since his EU€30 million (Dh117.7m) transfer from Real Sociedad nine months ago.
At the other end, goalkeeper Jan Oblak will hope for a repeat of his performance in the first leg when the Slovenian goalkeeper was man of the match. The former Benfica stopper, the most expensive in Spain after he moved from Benfica for EU€16m in the close season, saved a penalty which saw Bayer Leverkusen eliminated in the last round. Oblak has spent most of this season as Atletico’s No 2 but now he’s a hero, his services vital to any success this season.
They certainly will be called upon on Wednesday at the Bernabeu.
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