Ancelotti and his players have appealed to the audience to assist them overcome a 1-0 hole in the second leg of the last-16 tie.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti and his players acknowledged their fans in the most lively section behind the Bernabeu goal after their decisive 4-1 home win against Real Sociedad on Saturday.
They then returned to the dressing room before addressing the crowd one more. This is unprecedented, but it was done for a good reason and with an eye toward the future.
On Wednesday, Madrid will play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16, their most important match of the season.
In a game they thoroughly dominated, PSG won the first leg 1-0. Madrid will need everything for the second leg if they are to advance, and they have stated in post-match interviews that they will need the supporters and players more than before.
For the first time in two years, the Bernabeu will be able to accommodate a crowd of more than 60,000 people. Crowds were kept down by a covid lockdown, a large stadium reconstruction, and government capacity cuts, and while the construction work will take another year to finish, 60,000 people will be enough to make an epic spectacle.
Despite not playing well in two semi-finals against eventual winners Chelsea – the first leg in a rain-soaked, empty, windy reserve-team stadium that was their home last season – Zinedine Zidane's side were 10 minutes away from winning La Liga and one goal away from reaching the Champions League final. On Wednesday, the difference is expected to be enormous.
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