I have to recommend a long weekend away to Madrid when borders are reopened; there’s something quintessentially Spanish about the long scorching days filled with croquetas, patatas bravas and marisco which give way to pleasant evenings filled with relaxed bars, tinto de verano and sangria. 

The anticipation on matchday itself is hard to fully describe to someone who hasn’t experienced it before. As the metro drew closer to the stadium, the anticipation, the energy and the noise all increased. Once we emerged into the balmy Madrid evening air, the songs started and the thrill of the unknown came to the forefront as it always does. As we approached, I couldn’t help but feel giddy, as the glorious sight of the Santiago Bernabéu came into view, leaving me feeling like I was in the loading stages of a football game; the Santiago Bernabéu truly is a wondrous sight at night, rising like a spaceship from the streets of Madrid. 

Coming out into the stands of the Bernabéu is breathtaking; the stadium is gladiatorial in design, and even being sat at the back of the stand didn’t stop us from being able to comfortably see the whole pitch and keep track of the game. 

Sitting in an area full of people who knew each other, it almost felt more like a group of family and friends were sitting at a bar watching the game. There was plenty of seat swapping, catching up and pleasantries, a world away from what I’m used to in the stands in England. Sat above the Grada fans, the atmosphere for a fairly lowkey fixture struck me; maybe it didn’t have an ‘old school’ raucous atmosphere but there were still plenty singing around the stadium. 

It was also my first experience of being a fan in a game with VAR, and it hit me; the problem with the VAR fan experience isn’t so much the technology as it is the lack of technology in stadiums. At the Bernabéu, sitting at the back of the stand, we could clearly see the many replays being shown on the many small TV screens dotted about, keeping us in the loop. 

The game itself was quite a stop, start one. As the game was in the September of the 2018/19 season, Real Madrid were still reeling from the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo and their abject failure in replacing him; admittedly, it’s not exactly straightforward or indeed possible to replace 40-50 goals in a team from a single player. 

Whilst the class of the midfield was clear to see, the lack of cohesion in defence and movement upfront was stark. Varane and Ramos were uncharacteristically shaky and indecisive, and whilst Benzema looked threatening, Real Madrid still struggled to create many meaningful chances. Espanyol, the visitors on the night, created some great openings and easily could’ve done better than their 1-0 defeat. In the end the game was settled by a Marco Asensio strike, which was checked at length for offside, before being given much to the delight of the Madridistas. 

Post match, rather than the rapid dispersion I’m used to in England, people were milling around in bars, smoking copious amounts of cigarettes and catching up with friends, well into the night at that point. Maybe it’s the culture or just the weather, but certainly there is more of a communal feeling to these post game debriefs and catch ups. We relaxed, took our time and soaked up all the vibes, before heading out into the Madrid night, sure to come back and belt out Hala Madrid y Nada Mas in the future.