10,000 Manchester City fans expected in Madrid today
The 3,900 fans with tickets are expected to be accompanied by 6,000 ticket-less supporters anxious to see City make history.
The Manchester City club motto translates as: “Pride in battle” as Manuel Pellegrini's side will be accompanied by almost 10,000 supporters anxious to enjoy their team's historic first ever away semi-final in the Champions League. The 3,900 fans with tickets will be augmented by 5,500 ticket-less supporters hoping that City can secure a berth in the Milan final on May 28.
The habit of travelling without a match ticket to Spain is not uncommon for supporters of Premier League clubs who combine a spell in the city in question with an additional few days away from home. In 2013 over 1.000 Manchester United supporters traveled to Madrid without a ticket for their Champions League match at the Bernabeu. The blue side of Manchester last visited the city of Madrid in 2012 during the group phase and their thirst caught bars in the central tourist areas by surprise with many bars in the Plaza Mayor running out of beer as was the case when Spurs visited in 2011 and Liverpool in 2009.
The local Madrid governmental unit has declared the game 'high-risk" and 2,093 members of local police units along with ambulance staff, Red Cross and local Real Madrid club security will be on stand-by ahead of tonight's game (kick-off 20:45 CET).
Local Manchester media and the official Manchester City website have created a brief travel guide to Madrid which include the usual landmarks: Plaza Mayor, the San Miguel market, the Huertas area and the central, Puerta del Sol.