Real Madrid fans are confident their team will reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, an online poll showed Wednesday.
Real drew 1-1 away to French side Lyon on Tuesday in a round of 16 first leg, with former Lyon idol Karim Benzema scoring what could turn out to be a crucial away goal for Real. Bafetimbi Gomis equalized for Lyon seven minutes from time, DPA reported.
The second leg will be played in Madrid on March 16.
In an online poll by sports daily Marca, 70.1 per cent of readers thought that Jose Mourinho's team will reach the quarter-finals.
However, a similar poll taken by Barcelona daily Mundo Deportivo showed that only 51 per cent of readers believed Real would go through.
However, Mundo Deportivo is mostly read by fans of Barcelona, most of whom would like to see Lyon eliminate Real again, just as happened last season.
The media reaction in Madrid to Tuesday's draw has generally been positive. The headline in Marca on Wednesday was "Quarter Finals In View", while radio station Cadena COPE talked about "a quite good result indeed, even though it should have been better."
Cadena SER complained about "a clear penalty" not given to Real for handball by Lyon midfielder Yoann Gourcuff, and bemoaned the fact that the whites hit the woodwork twice in the Stade de Gerland.
Real - who have won the competition a record nine times - have not managed to get beyond the round of 16 since 2004.
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