Incredible as it may seem, Real Madrid has never played a match at the Emirates Stadium… although there is a precedent in the Champions League against Arsenal when, at that time, they were still playing in the legendary Highbury stadium. The memory for Real Madrid, of course, is extremely bitter, as that elimination in the 2005/06 Champions League Round of 16 sealed the fate of what became known as the Real Madrid of The Galácticos.

The Invincibles vs The Galácticos

Unlike what happens now in 2025, although this time it’s in the quarterfinals, the first leg of that tie was played at the Santiago Bernabéu with the return leg at the Highbury pitch. A stadium with a special mystique that, just a few years earlier, had witnessed how the Arsenal of The Invincibles managed to win the Premier League without losing a single match that season. To this day, no one in England has repeated that feat.

That team, coached by Arsène Wenger, was made up of players like Henry, Bergkamp, Pirés, Ashley Cole, Reyes, Ljungberg, Fábregas, and Campbell. A constellation of stars that, however, was completely overshadowed by The Galácticos of Real Madrid, where Figo was no longer part of the squad… but others like Zidane, Ronaldo, and Beckham were surrounded by Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Roberto Carlos, Guti, and Raúl.

Will history repeat itself with The Galácticos 2.0?

A legendary team that, however, had not managed to advance beyond the Round of 16 since they won the Champions League in 2002. A curse that lingered at Real Madrid until the arrival of Mourinho ahead of the 2010/11 season, with Arsenal playing a part in that story, as they managed to hold onto the precious 0-1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu thanks to a solitary goal from Henry, which allowed them to advance to the quarterfinals.

That season, Arsenal reached the Champions League final… but lost to Barcelona. However, their victory over Real Madrid marked the beginning of the end for The Galácticos at Real Madrid. That summer, Zidane announced his retirement after the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo left for Milan in the winter market after his disagreements with Capello, Florentino Pérez resigned from the presidency of Real Madrid months later… and Beckham moved to LA Galaxy at the end of the 2006/07 season. Will history repeat itself with The Galácticos 2.0 at Real Madrid?