The night that Real Madrid conquered Porto

November 4, 1987 was not just any day in the history of Real Madrid. Today just 33 years have passed since one of the best matches for the Whites in the European Cup. A server, who was then 22 years old, decided to go see him as a fan. It was played in Porto, in the old Das Antas stadium. The Portuguese were the current champions of Europe, after that famous final of the Viennese Prater that raised Paulo Futre and Madjer against Bayern Munich. Madrid won in the first leg hurriedly by 2-1, in a match played in exile from Mestalla because the Bernabéu was sanctioned for the incidents of the previous European Cup precisely against Bayern. In Valencia, with all the fans cheering that imperial Madrid of the Quinta del Buitre (I was in the stands and I can attest to that), Juary's initial goal came back and that 2-1 suffered gave some hope before the then kings of Europe.

The Portuguese were favorites, although Futre was already at Atlético de Madrid after signing him Jesús Gil for a record number at the time (415 million pesetas). The day before I got on one of the old Ruiz Autocares with a friend, at the Embajadores station. We had just enough money for the bus trip, a sandwich and the ticket to the game. We left at 11 at night about 50 Madridistas wanting to dream of a feat assuming the difficulty of the company. All night on the road (modern highways did not exist today) and after stopping at various service stations we arrived in Porto at dawn. All day ahead and no hotel, but We were no less than 5,000 white fans who finally crossed the border, with unlimited faith in our team. We occupied one of the corners that led to the goal where everything took place. And that in the first half the classification was put uphill with Domingues' direct free kick goal. Buyo couldn't do anything about a perfect shipment. 1-0 and 3-1 in the total of the tie. They painted clubs …

But in the second half, Paco Llorente, the nephew of the mythical Paco Gento, jumped onto the pitch. He revolutionized the game with his supersonic internships, which gave rise to two perfect assists to Míchel that the youth squad culminated with two goals. We celebrate them in the stands as if it were the Bernabéu. I will not forget how the 5,000 Madridistas silenced the noisy goalkeeper fans with the famous “Hala Madrid!” The ecstasy came when at the end of the game the players went to our corner to thank the support received. It was amazing. The return trip was long during the early morning, but we were so happy that we didn't care about the beating. That night we discovered the magic of Madrid in Europe. Those were days of vindication of a Madrid that needed to win the Seventh after so many years of waiting (since 1966 with the Sixth of the Ye-Yés). That 1987 was the European Cup that blew us away months later with the unfair elimination against PSV Eindhoven, in the semifinals. But It will always remain in the memory of the Madridistas that that night in Porto, 33 years ago, they saw the true European champion pass. What a great outfit that one from the Quinta del Buitre!