DATE/TIME – Tuesday 25th September 2018, 22:00

STADIUM – Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid

COMPETITION – La Liga

On the banks of the Rio Manzanares sits one of the great cathedrals of Spanish football. Over a year has now passed since the Vicente Calderon closed its doors for the final time but the stadium still stands tall and continues to bear the words ‘CLUB ATLETICO DE MADRID’ in big bold letters on top of one its stands. It appears in almost exactly the same state it was the last time it hosted football, minus a bit of rust and the disappearance of the majority of its seats.

It’s late September, the onset of Autumn is well underway in most of Europe but the sun is shining past 7:00 pm in Madrid on what is a distinctly summery evening. The paths along the riverbank are full of cyclists and scantily clad joggers while children play on the nearby swings. Five or six storey apartment blocks surround the Calderon on both sides of the Manzanares, not one of Europe’s most memorable city rivers with low water levels and numerous grassy patches but it still holds a special place in the hearts of followers of Atletico Madrid. The stadium is located quite literally in the heart of the community, a staunchly Atleti part of town where few are tempted by the glitz and glamour of Real Madrid, a distant 7km away in an altogether more upscale and on the surface enticing neighbourhood. …

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