Real Madrid

The Champions League returns to the Santiago Bernabeu after a three month hiatus and in spectacular fashion. No one wants to miss this match.

It is a very important game for Madridismo and our fans. We need to turn the score around after the first leg outcome. We need to be driven and ambitious from the very start, which will get the crowd fired up for a magical night of football. We really want this after so many years of hardship in this competition. We want Real Madrid to be where it belongs.

What would be going through your mind if you were a fan watching in the Bernabeu?

I would stay very positive, but we the players also have to get that message across. If we start off strong, create early chances and really do what we have to, fans will take notice and will support the team until the very end.

The atmosphere at the Bernabeu on Champions League nights is quite special.

True. It is an special atmosphere. We have had some incredible come-from-behind wins here and played many memorable matches that led us to several finals. We hope Wednesday is similar and that the team plays up to par. It will be a tough game, but we have the talent. We will do everything we can to go through.

What does it feel like to walk onto the pitch and hear 90,000 people cheering for you?

You feel like you can’t let anyone down because they have come to see their team win. The crest and everything this shirt means imply values that must always be left on the pitch.

This tie against Lyon reminds us of those most recent magical nights like that against Bayern Munich here at the Bernabeu.

I will never forget those matches. We did badly in the first leg and knew we were up against a good team, but we stuck it out and Real Madrid came out on top.

Will that atmosphere affect Olympique Lyonnais?

We hope so. They need to feel it. The Bernabeu is an amazing stadium and hard for all visiting teams to play in. It should be a factor, especially at the beginning of the match when they will be waiting to see what our first move will be. The tie will be very much in our favor if we score early.