The Bernabéu will draw on history with its mosaic message against Bayern

Real Madrid host Bayern Munich this Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabéu in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. It is European soccer’s great classic by the numbers: they have faced each other 28 times, with the rivalry perfectly balanced at 12 wins apiece and four draws. The trend lines, however, are very different. For years, Bayern were Madrid’s bogey team in Europe. Now the opposite is true, with Madrid having won each of the last four knockout ties between the two clubs.

It will, in any case, be a fixture steeped in European tradition, and that is exactly what Madrid want to tap into with the stadium mosaic planned before kickoff against Bayern. The display will cover the entire stadium, and two of its four sides will highlight the club’s historic identity. One will feature the club’s founding year, 1902. Another will show the first crest in Madrid’s history, far removed from the current badge.

Another of the four stands will display the club’s initials, RMCF, for Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, while the last will be filled only with the colors chosen for the mosaic: white, purple, and yellow. It will be a vast display designed to showcase the club’s historic stature before trying to take control of this Champions League quarterfinal tie on the road to the final in Budapest.

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