Real Madrid make rare request to UEFA on eve of Man City game that could prove vital

Real Madrid have made a special request to UEFA ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash against Manchester City, according to a new report.

Carlo Ancelotti's side will be looking to make a statement of intent on Tuesday night when they come up against European champions City inside the new-look Bernabeu.

In fact, Los Blancos are pulling out all the stops for the quarter-final first leg match.

A report from The Athletic suggests UEFA will receive a request from Madrid asking if they can use the roof on their stadium in a bid to make the atmosphere 'as raucous as possible'.

As well as the anticipated roof closure, fans have organised a 'spectacular' welcome for the team's arrival as they look to gain an advantage over Pep Guardiola's side.

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It doesn't stop there, either. The club have organised a pre-match, 360-degree mosaic to cover the entire length of the Bernabeu in white and purple pieces of paper.

These will will be placed on the seats, according to Spanish outlet Ok Diario, which is something that hasn't been organised since the pandemic amid ongoing renovations.

Somebody who knows the monumental task ahead of them is Rodrygo.

“There are no bad or medium [City] players," the Brazilian said. "There’s no player you can think of like: ‘This one I’m going to press because he isn’t good and he will give us a goal or a great chance.’

"They have a very good control of the game and of the ball. It’s a very beautiful game, a very difficult team. It’s very annoying to play against them but I believe in our team.”

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In terms of the new-look Bernabeu, Real Madrid released a video last year demonstrating how their extraordinary new retractable pitch at the stadium works.

With just a click of a button, each section of the pitch is sent underground and replaced by a concrete surface that can be used for concerts or other sporting events.

When it comes to match-day, the grass is moved back to ground level with each section of the pitch sliding back into position as as part of one slick operation, as seen below.

Tottenham used similar technology when they moved into their new ground in 2019, which has seen the stadium host major sporting events such as NFL games and music concerts.