Romanian football champion Steaua will face visiting Real Madrid, the world’s most reputed football club, on the Ghencea Stadium in Bucharest tonight.

The match, counting for Group E of the Champions League, is seen as a major sports show in Romania and the large number of Real stars including Ronaldo, David Beckham and Fabio Cannavaro has prompted a maximum risk alert for the Romanian police, which will sent some 1,300 gendarmes and policemen to guard the event.

The match starts at 9.45 pm and will be broadcast live by Romanian TV station ProTV and a series of other major television channels from abroad.

Italian referee Roberto Rosetti will lead the game.

Steaua players will receive 40,000 euro for the match, according to coach Cosmin Olaroiu.

Real coach Fabio Capello said in a press conference on Monday that Steaua was a dangerous team which Real respects, “but we only think of victory”. Real arrived in Romania on Sunday evening, an event that lured huge media attention by itself as anti-terror troops were sent to the Bucharest Airport to prevent any surprises.