BBC SPORT | Football | Champions League

But with more than 75,000 visitors - only a fraction with tickets - expected to cram into the city for the showcase final, Glasgow is expecting to cash in.

Although Bayer Leverkusen handed back half of their allocation, the match will be a sell-out as locals quickly snapped up the spare tickets.

The organisers are determined to use the final as an advertisement for the city.

Glasgow Council Leader councillor Charles Gordon said: "If we do well with this it will be great for the city's image and a good front for Scotland's bid for the European Championships in 2008."

The council will close the centre of the city to traffic for the day and are considering erecting two giant screens in George Square so visitors and locals can watch the action live.

Closer to the stadium 200 workers have already erected a giant tented village to host hospitality events for more than 3,000 visitors before and after the match.

Uefa Champions League banners and both teams' colours line the streets up to Hampden Park stadium, which has also been spruced up for the occasion.

The famous stadium - which was refurbished recently at a cost of �74m - has installed a new pitch for the match and called in extra staff to make the pitch greener than ever.

George Square, Glasgow
George Square will be transformed on Wednesday

Extra cleaners have been commissioned to clean roof panels sullied by rain, hail and dust in a bid to allow more sunlight to get through to the surface.

Back in the city centre a 'Fans' Festival' will keep younger visitors entertained with rides, football exhibitions, console games and even a giant inflatable table football pitch.

Those interested in more adult past-times will have ample distraction - nearly 200 pubs and clubs have been granted special late licences up to 0400 BST to cope with the celebrations.

And 1,500 doormen working at licensed premises in the city have been supplied with t-shirts which welcome the teams' fans in Spanish and German.

The estimated television audience of 400m are not being left out, either.

Hampden Park has hired Groupe F, which was behind the Eiffel Tower image projected across Paris for the millennium, to organise pre- and post-match entertainment.

More than 400 performers have been drafted in by the French firm to take part in the event, which is being headlined by local group The Proclaimers.