- Real Mad v Arsenal: tensions in Spain, solidarity in Arsenal
- Arsenal and Real Madrid – two different ways of building up to the next game
- Real Madrid face negativity but get a positive result. Arsenal get accolades and bore us stupid.
By Tony Attwood
It is something no one seems to want to talk about much, perhaps because it says such positive things about Arsenal, but this season Arsenal have played 11 Champions League games. One has been lost – away to Inter. Two have been drawn. Eight have been won. That is not a bad record.
| Date | Match | ReS | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 2024 | Atalanta v Arsenal | D | 0-0 |
| 1 Oct 2024 | Arsenal v Paris St Germain | W | 2-0 |
| 22 Oct 2024 | Arsenal v Shakhtar Donetsk | W | 1-0 |
| 6 Nov 2024 | Internazionale v Arsenal | L | 1-0 |
| 26 Nov 2024 | Sporting Clube Portugal v Arsenal | W | 1-5 |
| 11 Dec 2024 | Arsenal v AS Monaco | W | 3-0 |
| 22 Jan 2025 | Arsenal v Dinamo Zagreb | W | 3-0 |
| 29 Jan 2025 | Girona v Arsenal | W | 1-2 |
| 4 Mar 2025 | PSV Eindhoven v Arsenal | W | 1-7 |
| 12 Mar 2025 | Arsenal v PSV Eindhoven | D | 2-2 |
| 8 Apr 2025 | Arsenal v Real Madrid | W | 3-0 |
What we might also want to remember at this moment is that Thierry Henry holds the record for 89 appearances and 42 goals in Europe.
And here’s another thought. Arsenal have won 7-0 twice in Europe, once against Standard Liège, in the Cup Winners’ Cup campaign, and once at home to Slavia Prague in the Champions League.
And also while everyone seems to be wanting to cast Arsenal as some sort of second-class European club, Arsenal also hold the record for the most consecutive clean sheets. That was a run of 10 starting in September 2005 and continuing to the following May.
The message from Real Mad since their humiliation at Arsenal stadium is that “If there is any team that can turn this around, it’s us. In front of our home fans at our ground.” There are multiple people being quoted as saying this, so I guess it comes from the Really Mad Book of Quotations. But anyway the point is that they think they can beat Arsenal.
What they most pointedly don’t say in any of these quotaes that they are handing out to all the media (who are dutifully repeating them without question) is that Real Mad have never ever beaten Arsenal. Not once.
In fact more than that Real Mad have never even scored a single goal against Arsenal! It’s funny how most of the media don’t mention that.
| Date | Match | Res | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Feb 2006 | Real Madrid v Arsenal | W | 0-1 |
| 07 Mar 2006 | Arsenal v Real Madrid | D | 0-0 |
| 08 Apr 2025 | Arsenal v Real Madrid | W | 3-0 |
.
So in tonight’s game they have to do two things for the first time. First, they are going to have to score against Arsenal which they have never ever done (although I don’t think the English media wants you to know that.)
And second, they actually have to do that twice more after the first goal just to go to penalties. Although the fact is that most journalists are expressing the view that this is all looking very difficult for Arsenal. Even though Real Mad have never done this before.
The problem that Real M have is that they expect to be able to make a comeback because normally they do – in three of the last four times they have been behind in the first leg they have come back to win.
And there is also the point that they haven’t had to face a deficit like this and overthrown it for just under 50 years, so they are a bit out of practice. The opposition at that time was the almighty Derby County in 1975/76. Real Mad lost 4-1 at Derby’s ground and won 5-1 at their home ground.
The fact is that Derby won the League Division One in 1975 although they did get 10 defeats in their 42 league matches. So off they went the following season into the European Cup while playing in the League and sinking down to fourth. (To give you an idea of life in those days, Queens Park Rangers came second that season in the 1st Division. They are currently 15th in the Championship).
In the build-up to the first match, Derby beat Ipswich Town, and Wolverhampton Wands, while drawing with Norwich City and losing to Middlesbrough. They then beat Real Mad 4-1. After that victory Derby County drew with Liverpool and beat Leeds United, before Real Mad beat them 5-1, to win 6-5 on aggregate.
So a bit of a “funny ol’ game” time. Unlike now, of course.
