Saturday 22 November 2014

No Space For Bale To Repeat Cup Final Heroics

catch me if you can
The distance between the touchline and the first row of fans at Eibar's cosy stadium is a measly 95 cm, so we can rule out a repeat of Gareth Bale's incredible Copa del Rey final winner.
During that iconic run in Valencia, the Welshman veered so far off the pitch that he actually set foot in the technical area. If the final had been staged at IpurĂșa rather than the Mestalla, Bale would have had to hurdle the seats in the away dugout - located just 50 cm from the sideline - while Marc Bartra would have faced a much easier task to block the Real Madrid speedster's path along the warm-up area.
Leaving aside the playing surface, Eibar's ground is cauldron-like because of its compact layout, which leaves the supporters breathing down the players' necks.
And you can rest assured the place will be rocking for Real Madrid's visit. No one wants to miss the occasion: the club has been inundated with media requests and tickets have been sold out for a week, meaning all 5,907 seats - a figure bolstered this season by the installation of temporary stands - will be occupied.
The Basque minnows had as few as 350 tickets to put on general sale, at prices ranging from €40 to €90, and these were all snapped up on the first day. Some fans had even camped out by the stadium overnight to make absolutely sure they would get to see the European champions.