Real Madrid prove they are a box-office draw with starlets set to break record in Russia

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  • Utter the words ‘Real Madrid’ anywhere in the world and they are sure to draw a reaction – but some places love them just a little more than most.

    That’s true of Krasnodar, the Russian city preparing to break records by hosting Los Blancos… in an Under-19s match.

    A UEFA Youth League record 33,979 are expected to fill the Stadion Krasnodar on Wednesday night. For perspective, FK Krasnodar’s senior side draw an attendance of little more than 24,000 per game.

    “We are happy with such attention. If we want our lads to play at the highest level we need these kinds of matches,” Krasnodar coach Murad Musaev told Sovetski Sport. “This is like an exam for all of us.

    “Our board decided to play at the main arena if more than 5,000 tickets were sold. It was a pleasant surprise. We are happy to be seeing so many fans.”

    The Real starlets, led by former Bernabeu hero Guti, and Krasnodar are beginning to reach the UEFA Youth League’s round of 16.

    And while the Madrid-based teenagers are heavily favoured they best watch out for the tournament’s current top goalscorer.

    Ivan Ignatyev, who has already struck twice for Krasnodar’s senior side this season, has fired 10 goals in just four games so far having qualified through the ‘domestic champions’ path.

    Real however have had a tougher time so far, having to qualify from a group containing Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund and APOEL – opponents that mirrored their senior side’s fixtures in the UEFA Champions League.

    Just like the men, Real qualified behind Tottenham in second place, with striker Dani Gomez doing most of the damage.

    The 19-year-old scored in each of the five games he played in, scoring seven times – including a hat-trick against APOEL.

    Real Madrid squad to face Krasnodar: Moha, Altube, Zabarte, Victor, Lopez, De la Fuente, Alex, Miguel, Miguel Baeza, Augusto, Alberto, Cesar, Martin, Antonio, Moha M., Oscar, Dani Gomez and Pedro.

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