Talking all things Real at the Bernabéu

When a father takes his sons to the football stadium, he wants to cheer on his team and create memories that everyone will remember for decades to come. But 60 minutes before kick-off, Miguel Fuentes and his sons Pablo, 12, and Alvaro, 10, really don't know what to expect at the Bernabéu. "The season has been full of ups and downs, like a rollercoaster," says the 40-something from a northern suburb of Madrid.

All three are die-hard ‘Hinchas’ - Spanish for Real Madrid fans and have been club members for years. On a Sunday evening at the end of March, they're waiting in the queue to get in to watch the derby against Atlético Madrid. The aim is to stay in touch with Barcelona in the table, defend their city dominance and stay in the flow ahead of the most important phase of the season.

But there's not much sign of the confidence Real Madrid fans in Spain are known for - and that's with just under two weeks to go till the Champions League quarter-final against FC Bayern, the ‘Clásico Europeo’, as the game is known in Spain. No fixture has been contested more often in the Champions League No encounter has taken place more often in the Champions League than Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich.

Since their first meeting 50 years ago, in March 1976, the record champions of Spain and Germany have faced each other almost 30 times in European competition. But if you ask around the football scene in Madrid, you'll hear unfamiliar undertones: frustration, uncertainty, perhaps even nervousness. "The team just isn't working properly," says Miguel Fuentes worriedly.