Empty stadium won't affect Real, says Samuel
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-12-08 09:15

Walter Samuel says Real Madrid will not be affected by playing their decisive Champions League match against AS Roma behind closed doors at Rome's Olympic Stadium on Wednesday.

The former Roma defender and his Real team mates must beat the Italian side in their Group B match to guarantee a place for the nine-times European champions in the knockout phase of the competition.

UEFA ordered the game to be played without spectators as punishment for an incident during Roma's Champions League opener against Dynamo Kiev in which Swedish referee Anders Frisk was hit by a coin thrown from the stands.

"I'm sorry that there won't be anyone, because when it is full, there is a great atmosphere," said Samuel. "But our priority remains to win the match."

Roma, already out of Europe, have named a second-string squad without star strikers Francesco Totti, Vincenzo Montella and Antonio Cassano.

Roma coach Luigi Del Neri is most likely to start with a strike partnership of Marco Delvecchio and 20-year-old Daniele Corvia, who has yet to hit the target in 10 appearances for the club.

Samuel denied Del Neri's squad selection had smoothed Real's path to the knockout rounds.

"We know that even without them Roma are strong," he said. "They started this season badly, but they're improving."

His caution was echoed by fellow defender Ivan Helguerra.

"In the last few years we've qualified much more easily," he said. "It's not ideal for us to be in this position.

"Roma will still have some good young players who'll feel they've got something to prove. We can't afford to give them anything."

Del Neri said Roma would do everything they could to bow out of the Champions League on a high note.

"Real is an important team and we have a duty to make them work," he said. "We won't be a sacrificial victim. We will give it our best shot."

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