After finishing in the top four, Villarreal won the right to start dreaming about their
first adventure in the Champions 🍊 League in 2005/06, the most important club competition
on the planet. And the Submarine went on a journey that caused 🍊 a stir in Europe and
throughout the world: easily beating English side Everton in their Qualifying play-off
match, then leading 🍊 their group in the Group stages and passing the hurdles one by one
until, with what was very bad luck, 🍊 they were stopped in the Semi-finals by an Arsenal
side who were made to suffer to the end to get 🍊 to the Final of the competition. The
Yellows made their debut in the world’s biggest competition in style, against no 🍊 less
than Manchester United on 14th September 2005. It was a very even game that finished in
a 0-0 draw 🍊 and the Submarine made their intentions clear.
Villarreal’s first victory in
the Champions League came on Match Day 4 in the 🍊 Group stages, with the Submarine
playing in Group D. The Yellows visited the Da Luz stadium and beat Benfica 0-1, 🍊 with a
wonder goal by Marcos Senna from about 25 yards out. A key result to finish the initial
phase 🍊 in first place with 10 points, two games won and four drawn. Villarreal were
already among the 16 best teams 🍊 in Europe in their first time participating in the
Champions League. A success that wouldn’t finish there – and far 🍊 from it.
The Yellows
went up against Glasgow Rangers in the Round of 16. The Scottish side, one of Europe’s
classics, 🍊 hosted the Submarine on 22nd February 2006. Riquelme, from the penalty spot,
and Diego Forlán were the goal scorers for 🍊 the Yellows, who went away with a valuable
2-2 draw. The second leg at El Madrigal finished in a 1-1 🍊 draw, enough to take the
Submarine through to the Quarter-finals. Arruabarrena, with his goal, was already
beginning to establish himself 🍊 as the team’s hero in the Champions League. Inter Milan,
one of the strongest teams in Europe, waited for Villarreal 🍊 in the Quarter-finals. The
Submarine showed their quality again and weren’t discouraged at the Giussepe Meazza
stadium after a creditable 🍊 2-1 loss, with a goal from Forlán in the opening minutes of
the first leg.
Tuesday 4th April was the day 🍊 that one of the most legendary matches in
Villarreal’s recent history was played at El Madrigal. Inter visited the home 🍊 of the
Yellows with a small advantage on aggregate, but the Basque native Arruabarrena wiped
that away with a well 🍊 placed header in the 58th minute. It was a magical night in El
Madrigal as the team qualified for the 🍊 Semi-finals.
Arsenal were all that stood in the
way of the Submarine on the road to the grand Final. Villarreal came 🍊 up just short at
Highbury, thus resting all their hopes on the second leg at El Madrigal. After an
exciting 🍊 match which Villarreal deserved to get more out of, missing a penalty in the
last few minutes, the Submarine were 🍊 knocked out of the competition.
