Throwback to 2006 – Arsenal & Real Madrid XIs when Gunners knocked Spaniards out of the Champions League

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Clubs meet for just second time 

©TM/IMAGO

Real Madrid have won the Champions League 15 times. They truly are the competition’s juggernauts. Throughout their history in the Champions League, they have managed to scored against every team they have ever faced bar two sides. Lille beat Los Blancos 1-0 in their maiden meeting in this season’s league phase. The other side are Arsenal. Remarkably, the two clubs have only ever met once in Champions League history – in the 2005/06 round of 16. And it was the Gunners who came out victorious. Arsène Wenger’s side conjured a memorable night in the Spanish capital as they won 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu, inspired by their captain Thierry Henry, who got the only goal on the night.

That evening, the Gunners became the first English side to ever win at the iconic Spanish stadium. In the reverse fixture at Highbury they held Real Madrid 0-0 to progress to the next round. Arsenal would go all the way to the final that year where they lost 2-1 to Barcelona. There was an abundance of talent on show between the two sides back then. Ahead of Real Madrid’s trip to the Emirates to face-off with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in this season’s Champions League quarter-final, let’s turn back the clocks and take a look at both sides fielded when the sides last met in north London 19 years ago.

On March 8, 2006, Arsenal last faced Real Madrid in the Gunners final season at Highbury. That day the game finished as a stalemate, but a 0-0 draw was enough to see Arsenal progress. In between the sticks for the Gunners that evening was German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann (Market value: €6m), who would later that season be shown a straight red card in the Champions League final against Barcelona. It was somewhat of a make shift defence for Arsenal with injuries ruling out Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole and Gaël Clichy. At right back it was Emmanuel Eboué (€5m), whilst at left-back holding midfielder Mathieu Flamini filled in.

At centre-half for Arsenal was Kolo Touré (€10m), who was man-of-the-match on the night, and Philippe Senderos (€6m). Arteta’s team have their own defensive injury issues this time around with centre-back Gabriel recently ruled out for the season, but perhaps their superb defensive display with a rookie defence two decades ago can give them confidence of repeating that this year. In central midfield for Arsenal was Brazilian Gilberto Silva (€8m), and young Spaniard Cesc Fàbregas (€14m). Ahead of them two were the trio of the late Jose Antonio Reyes (€17m), Belarusian Aleksandr Hleb (€11m), and Freddie Ljungberg (€14m). Henry, by far the most valuable Arsenal player at the time at €50m, led the line. In total Arsenal’s XI that day was worth €146m.

Arsenal may have progressed with a young side, but it was a much more experienced Real Madrid they surpassed in 2006. in goal for the Spanish giants was club legend Iker Casillas (€25m). At centre-half it was the lesser-known Raul Bravo (€4m), alongside future club captain Sergio Ramos (€18m). Míchel Salgado was at right-back, with the Brazilian icon with a wand of a left-foot Roberto Carlos (€7m) at left-back. In midfield Thomas Gravesen (€4m) lined up with the star-studded trio of 36-year-old Zinédine Zidane (€13m), Guti (€11m), and David Beckham (€22m). Leading the line for Los Blancos was arguably the greatest striker to ever play the game in Brazilian Ronaldo (€28m), and Real Madrid legend Raúl (€18m). Madrid’s XI boasted a market value of €155m.