Arsenal vs Barcelona: Ranking Champions League encounters

Ashraf Abdin 17:24 14/12/2015
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  • 7 games: 4 wins for Barca, 2 draws, 1 win for Arsenal.

    Arsenal have drawn Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16, and with seven previous encounters between them we took this chance to rank their clashes over the years.

    – Champions League draw: Barcelona get Arsenal

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    7) BARCELONA 1-1 ARSENAL – GROUP STAGE (September 29, 1999)

    The first match between the sides in Europe was a group stage encounter in September 1999, with current Barca boss Luis Enrique putting the Catalans ahead after 16 minutes. With just nine minutes remaining Arsenal's night got worse as Gilles Grimandi was dismissed for an elbow on Pep Guardiola but within a minute of the red card the Gunners were level.

    Davor Suker, on as a substitute in place of Dennis Bergkamp, unleashed an effort that was saved by Ruud Hesp, and Nwankwo Kanu was first to the rebound, firing the equaliser into the bottom corner.

    6) ARSENAL 2-1 BARCELONA – ROUND of 16 1st Leg (February 16, 2011)

    Arsenal scored two stunning goals in the last 12 minutes to secure their first ever victory over Barcelona. David Villa gave the 2009 UEFA Champions League winners the initiative midway through the first half and though Lionel Messi contrived to miss a couple of gilt-edged opportunities, it seemed it would be enough. 

    However, Robin van Persie put his side level with a shot that wrong-footed Victor Valdes before substitute Andrei Arshavin side-footed a dramatic winner.

    5) BARCELONA 3-1 ARSENAL – ROUND of 16 2nd Leg (March 8, 2011)

    Lionel Messi put the home side in front but Sergio Busquets' own goal swung the tie back into Arsenal's favour. However the 56th-minute departure of Robin van Persie to a red card restored Barcelona's confidence and goals from Xavi Hernndez and Messi – from the penalty spot – confirmed a 4-3 aggregate triumph. 

    4) ARSENAL 1-2 BARCELONA – FINAL (May 17, 2006)

    The UEFA Champions League final between Barcelona and Arsenal promised to be an entertaining epic, but instead Paris witnessed a masterclass of a different kind.

    Ten-man Arsenal – Jens Lehmann was sent off early on – took a first-half lead against the odds and their defence protected it for almost 40 minutes, only for Barcelona to get their reward for a patient display as two goals in the last 15 minutes, from Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti, handed the Spanish side the trophy for the second time.

    3. BARCELONA 4-1 ARSENAL – QUARTER-FINAL 2ND LEG (April 6, 2010)

    It required a performance of absolute brilliance and four wonderful goals from Lionel Messi but Barcelona underlined their status as reigning European champions by sweeping past Arsenal to advance to a semi-final against Inter Milan. 

    Barca fell behind to Nicklas Bendtner's early goal on the counter-attack, but Messi contributed a sumptuous 22-minute hat-trick and added a fourth two minutes from time.

    2. ARSENAL 2-4 BARCELONA – GROUP STAGE (19 October 1999)

    Barcelona, ruthlessly exposing one of the Premier League's tightest defences back then, survived a stout Arsenal rally around half-time to beat Arsene Wenger's team.

    Rivaldo and Luis Erique scored early in the first-half, before Dennis Bergkamp responded just two minutes before the half-time whistle.

    Luis Figo popped up and scored in the 56th minute before Philip Cocu put the game virtually beyond Arsenal's reach in the 70th minute from Pep Guardiola's long through-pass although Marc Overmars did reduce the winning margin towards the end.

    1. ARSENAL 2-2 BARCELONA – QUARTER-FINAL 1ST LEG (March 31, 2010)

    Arsenal survived a Barcelona masterclass to stage a stirring recovery from two goals down and keep their Champions League hopes alive at the Emirates.

    Manuel Almunia produced a string of stunning saves to keep the reigning European champions at bay as they passed the Gunners into submission in a magical first half-hour that had everything – except the goal Pep Guardiola's side deserved.

    On the second-half Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a brace, before Theo Walcott and Cesc Fabregas rallied the London club to managed to secure a late comeback.

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