Dressed in a Kylian Mbappe jersey and fizzing with excitement, Real Madrid fan Rebecca Feng checked in for her flight from Beijing to Kazakhstan on Monday, almost incredulous she would soon watch her team play in the Champions League.
The Spanish giants are playing local minnows Kairat in Kazakhstan's biggest city Almaty on Tuesday, a game sports magazine The Athletic called "arguably the biggest mismatch in the competition's history".
But for Asian Real Madrid fans, it is a rare opportunity to see their idols without having to travel 7,000 kilometres (4,350 miles) or more to Europe.
"I'm so excited!" 28-year-old Feng told AFP at Beijing Daxing Airport, wrapped in a huge team flag.
"It's like the stars aligned perfectly... An opportunity not to be missed!" she said, relishing the prospect of a flight just over five hours long.
Chinese citizens can enter Kazakhstan visa-free, and the match falls the day before a long public holiday in the country.
"So I only needed to take one day of leave," she grinned.
- Childhood memories -
Despite its location, Kazakhstan has been a member of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 2002.
It is only the second time a team from the country has made it into the Champions League, after FC Astana.
Dozens of Chinese fans are expected to cross the border for the game.
Feng has been a fan of Real Madrid since Spain's victory at Euro 2008, and used to watch the team play at her grandfather's house, "where the sports channel was always on television".
The finance worker later studied in Spain, and saw two matches live at the Bernabeu.
Next to her at the airport, 25-year-old Alex Lee was impatient to board.
His favourite player was former Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, but he was wearing a friend's Jude Bellingham jersey.
"(He) was supposed to come with me, but he couldn't get away because of work," he said.
"He gave me his jersey so that I could wear it and represent him at the match."
Both Feng and Lee hope to see the sights in Kazakhstan, with Feng also planning a jaunt to neighbouring Uzbekistan.
- Hot tickets -
Kairat's stadium only has a capacity of around 23,000, so tickets were highly sought after.
"Fans from all over central Asia were interested," Feng told AFP.
She was able to get hers through ChinaReal, Real's Chinese fan club, for 50 euros.
"It will be amazing to be with all the other supporters, including those from Spain," she said.
"Real just lost the Madrid derby against Atletico, so I hope they'll bounce back."
Lee was looking forward to watching Real and Uruguayan international player Federico Valverde.
"I love (him) because he's incredibly tenacious on the pitch. I can't wait to see him in real life!" Lee said.
His match prediction?
"3-0 to Real, with goals from Mbappe and Bellingham!"
