Navi Mumbai: It was a rare moment for La Liga fans in India to watch legends in action. They cherished every moment and created an atmosphere that football has rarely produced in India. Watching El Clasico live at the DY Patil Stadium with yesteryear stars in action gave fans goosebumps.
About The Match
Fernando Morientes scored in the first half and David Barral scored in the second half, as Real Madrid Legends walked away with the honours 2-0, but both teams left behind some memorable moments with their fans as the stadium, usually hosting cricket matches, was filled to more than half capacity.
Real Madrid and Barca legends rolled back the years in Legends Faceoff on a beautiful Sunday evening. They showed the skills, technique, and charm that quality football can produce, and Indian football fans miss that quality show. Among the fans was Indian and Mumbai City forward Lallianzuala Chhangte, who was blown away by Luis Figo’s moves up front. “I am a Chelsea fan, but there are many evergreen stars in these two teams playing now, to whom we have always looked up. Look at Figo; he still has so much skill up his sleeve and control. Xavi is inspirational in the midfield,” Chhangte said.
Barca and Real Madrid fans started making their way to the DY Patil stadium to watch legends in action, hours before the actual kickoff. The fans build the pre-game atmosphere with Barca and Madrid songs outside the stadium. Slogans and banners like Hala Madrid, Mumbai Bleeds Blaugrana, Madridismo India, Madrista, and Barca Mumbai were prominent outside and inside the stadium. Die-hard La Liga fans got glimpses of the atmosphere at Camp Nou and Santiago Bernabéu Stadium – the home grounds of Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.
Watching their favourite stars come out of the dugout towards the pitch gave them an experience they had only watched on TV. A normal practice session before an 80-minute game that included a water break during each half helped the legends to maintain hydration in humid conditions.
Real Madrid legends were impressive, getting more control over the ball and creating calculated moves. Morientes made the first attempt on goal, which was blocked, and Agustin Garcia's header on the ensuing corner was wayward. Real Madrid Legends skipper Luis Figo made his presence felt up front with skillful play. He fell just outside the box in the tenth minute to draw interest from fans like the yesteryears.
Figo's attempt on goal later in the 15th minute brought an acrobatic save from Barca’s Portuguese goalkeeper Vitor Baia. But a minute later, a skilled toe-in from Figo saw Morientes calmly finding the back of the net. Barral then made it 2-0 to cap off an excellent show from the Madrid forward line.
