Real Madrid legend Emilio Butragueno addressed the Champions League draw and the club's upcoming rivals, noting that picking up points early is key to finishing among the top teams.
On Thursday, the Champions League draw for the 2026/27 season took place, and all things considered, Real Madrid drew well compared to teams like Barcelona or Manchester City. That said, they will face the current runner-up, Arsenal, in London, which looks to be the toughest match of the league phase for the Spanish side.
However, the club's legend, Emilio Butragueño, points out that, despite everything, matches in this competition are always difficult because of the passion surrounding them, adding that the team will have to perform at a high level to advance in the first phase. "We are aware of the passion with which these types of matches are lived, and that makes them always extremely difficult.
We compete with all the excitement, trusting in our players, but being aware that each match is a challenge and requires a very high performance if we want to achieve our objectives. Unlike the (format) that existed before, now you compete against everyone. That forces you to make every match practically a final, because the objective is to finish among the top eight, and the ideal would be to be among the top four, which would give us home-field advantage until the end."
With this last point he refers to the fact that if Madrid finishes the league phase among the top four places, they will have the benefit of closing all knockout rounds at home, at least until the semifinals in the hypothetical case that they face the first, second or third place, since then those teams would have the better position in the table and Madrid would have to close as visitors, but the round of 16 and quarterfinals they would definitely close at the Bernabeu.
It is also important to note that closing knockout rounds at home does not guarantee your qualification; you just have to look at the current two-time champion of the competition, Paris Saint-Germain, which during last season eliminated Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Liverpool at Anfield, and Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, showing that not closing as a visitor does not mean you should fear anything at all.
Finally, Butragueno added: "It is essential to start adding points in the first matches so that the team acquires that confidence that allows us to finish among the best. The club has made an effort this summer. Players of the highest level have arrived, and Mourinho has returned, a man with great experience who knows how to get the best out of each player. We live this season with enormous excitement and with the hope that it will be a great season for Real Madrid."
