Earlier today, the draw for the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals took place and current trophy holders Real Madrid were drawn against familiar foes Chelsea in a replay of last season’s last-eight tie.
Indeed, Los Blancos squared off against the Blues in the quarterfinal stages last term and prevailed 5-4 on aggregate, despite losing the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
As per today’s draw, Real Madrid will play the first leg at home on April 12 before flying to London a week later for the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
And, according to a report from Arancha Rodriguez (h/t RM4Arab), Real Madrid officials are not entirely pleased with the idea of playing away from home in the second leg.
It is no secret that the Santiago Bernabeu can be a daunting venue for opposition thanks to the atmosphere that fans create in the stadium.
And, it is only natural for the Merengues to have that desire to play the crucial second leg of a Champions League quarterfinal tie in their own backyard in front of thousands of Madrididstas.
After all, one cannot discount the role the fans played in Real Madrid’s roaring comeback wins on the way to their Champions League triumph last season.
However, the advantage of playing the second leg at home will be with Chelsea this time around, while Real Madrid will also play the second leg of the semi-finals on the road, provided they do qualify for that stage.
It must be noted that the Spanish capital giants have not been eliminated from the quarter-final stages in the Champions League since way back in 2004.
