A legion of Manchester United fans are converging on Rome to roar on their heroes in the Champions League final.
A total of 20,000 supporters have tickets for the crucial match but another 10,000 are expected to make the journey to Italy despite pleas not to travel without a ticket.
The authorities in Rome are bracing themselves for a similar number of Spanish fans with fears the high number of ticketless supporters could lead to trouble before kick-off at the Stadio Olimpico.
In a bid to avoid violence, city officials have banned the sale of alcohol around the stadium and in airports and stations until Thursday morning.
Rome's mayor Gianni Alemanno said: "I have asked (interior) minister Roberto Maroni to have maximum attention from the security officers to avoid any incidents.
"I want to thank them in advance for the work they will carry out.
"To prevent any incidents we have spoken to Rome football fans and asked them to show maximum solidarity."
Thirty scheduled flights to the eternal city are due to depart from Manchester Airport, where extra staff have been brought in to cope with demand.
Fans were warned by police they had no chance of getting in to the Stadio Olimpico without a genuine match ticket, which contains personal details of each ticket holder in a micro-chip. Supporters will also have to produce photographic identification.
In total, 73 banning orders are in place ensuring convicted hooligans from Manchester have to hand over their passports before the game, with police monitoring UK airports for known trouble-makers.
