RETURN AFTER 19 YEARS: MBAPPÉ'S BARRAGE AGAINST UNBEATABLE ENGLISH FORTRESS
Arsenal v Real Madrid April 8th, 2025 After almost two decades, the giants of European football meet again. Arsenal and Real Madrid last faced each other in the 2005/06 season when they met in the Champions League round of 16. That encounter ended with a surprising progression of the London side, which won 1-0 in Madrid and maintained a goalless draw at home. They thus became one of only two English teams (along with Liverpool) that remained undefeated in their first three duels with Real in European competitions. However, Real Madrid has since gained rich experience with English clubs. Since the 2017/18 season, the White Ballet has played an incredible 22 matches against Premier League teams in the knockout phase of the Champions League (11 wins, 5 draws, 6 losses), which is 10 more than any other team has against sides from one specific country. The reigning champions are true specialists in first-leg knockout matches. In the last eight cases, they haven't lost the opening...