The Champions League quarterfinal between Real Madrid and Arsenal will be played under a closed roof at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday.
This is after UEFA ceded to Real Madrid’s request to shut the stadium’s retractable roof for the duration of the match.
Why did Real Madrid make the request?
With a closed roof, Real Madrid hopes to enhance the crowd support and boost its home advantage as it looks to overturn a three-goal deficit in the second leg against Arsenal.
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Last season, Real had used a similar strategy against Bayern Munich in the UCL semifinal, where it claimed a last-gasp win.
Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti had then emphasised the impact of the closed roof. “Acoustically, it’s different, there’s more noise, a much better atmosphere. That can encourage the team to be even more motivated.”
Arsenal and Real Madrid have played only once against each other in the Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the Gunners emerging victorious in their round of 16 clash back in 2005-06 season.
