Madrid's Bernabéu Stadium had just hosted the second leg of a Champions League knockout tie.
Real Madrid, playing at home, faced the visiting Premier League Reds, Liverpool.
The two teams that had met in last season's Champions League Final now found themselves facing off in the knockout stage, making this a highly anticipated clash—especially since Liverpool had performed poorly in the group stage and had only managed to finish second in their group.
Unexpectedly, after beating Liverpool 2–1 away in the first leg and nearly putting one foot into the Champions League quarterfinals, Real Madrid suffered a disastrous 4–1 defeat to the Reds at home in the second leg.
It was a match that left the entire world stunned!
No one had expected Real Madrid, after enjoying such a huge advantage in the first leg, to suffer such a humiliating defeat.
This was not the first time.
Since January, Real Madrid had first lost 2–0 to Real Sociedad at home, then lost 2–1 to Girona at home, and not long ago had suffered a 1–0 home defeat to Barcelona...
The Bernabéu, once regarded by Real Madrid fans as an impregnable iron fortress, was no longer so secure.
Many even believed that Real Madrid's performances at home were worse than those away.
Some blamed the pressure. Others believed the team had fallen apart. Some even thought Real Madrid had passed its peak.
But none of that compared to tonight's humiliating comeback victory over them, which had sent shock waves through the entire club.
The Round of 16!
This was one of the greatest humiliations in Real Madrid's history!
Before Florentino returned for his second stint as president, Real Madrid had been eliminated in the Champions League Round of 16 for several consecutive years, earning them the mocking nickname of the Champions