Real Madrid draws with Legia at empty Warsaw stadium

Real Madrid struggled to bring a Champions League match with Legia Warszawa to a 3:3 draw during a game held on Wednesday behind closed doors in the Polish capital.

Real's Gareth Bale managed the first goal of the game just 57 seconds after the opening whistle, giving Real a much-expected lead.

A second goal was scored by Karim Benzema, bringing the score to 0:2 in uncomfortable surroundings without the cheers of thousands of fans at the Polish Army Stadium in Warsaw.

UEFA, European football’s governing body, had banned fans from attending the game after recent violence by the fans of reigning Polish champions Legia Warszawa.

The score on Wednesday was equalised with a strike by Legia's Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe before half-time break, and another by Miroslav Radovic 15 minutes into the second half.

Legia's Thibault Moulin put the ball in the net giving the Polish team an unlikely lead just seven minutes before the final whistle.

But the 3:2 result did not last long. A mere two minutes later, Real's Mateo Kovacic brought the scoring to a draw.

Still, the result is very good for the Warsaw team, whose record has been marred by a string of losses in recent weeks.

Crowd trouble broke on 14 September at Legia’s first game in the Champions League in 20 years, when it was thrashed 0:6 on home turf by Borussia Dortmund.

Following that match, UEFA, European football’s governing body, ordered Legia to hold Wednesday’s home game without fans.

The Warsaw side were beaten 1:5 away by Real Madrid on 18 October.

Legia was also beaten by Sporting Lisbon 0:2 on 27 September in its second match of the group stage.