Madrid against Chelsea in the European Cup, never, never, never …

My friend Pepe, from Vélez-Málaga, a good Madrid player and a voracious soccer enthusiast, threw my memory to see if he was able to discover a single duel between Madrid and Chelsea in the European Cup (as it was called until 1992) or Champions League (as it has been called since the 1992-93 season). I quickly remembered that final in Athens in 1971, which required a tiebreaker with the first being 1-1 (with an agonizing goal by Ignacio Zoco near the final whistle). Two days later, in the replay, the Whites lost the title (2-1, with goals from Webb, Osgood and Fleitas) and Paco Gento said goodbye to soccer, leaving an imperial resume despite that defeat. After all, that was the Recopa, the only continental competition that the indisputable King of Europe resisted. There was only one other direct match with Chelsea, and it was the 1998 European Super Cup played in Monaco. Madrid agreed as the new European champion (the Seventh won in Amsterdam to Juventus de Zidane) and Chelsea for conquering the Recopa by defeating Stuttgart in the final play in Stockholm (1-0, Zola). The Monaco match was very difficult and finally the Londoners won with a last goal from the Uruguayan Gustavo Poyet (1-0), an old acquaintance of the Spanish fans (he played successfully for Zaragoza from 1990 to 1997). And until today. Those three duels, two in the Recopa final and one in the European Super Cup, have been the only continental clashes between Chelsea and Real Madrid. Neither in the defunct European Cup nor in the Champions League have the faces been seen. Never, never, never. And that has been 65 years since the first edition of the European Cup began, won by Madrid at the Stade de Reims in Paris (4-3).

However, with other English clubs it has been more common to see Madrid gamble its prestige and its future in the maximum continental competition. Specifically, it has held a total of 26 matches. Without a doubt, Madrid’s great English rival in the European Cup is Manchester United. And, besides, it was the first. In 1957 they crossed paths in a qualifying round in the semifinals. The Di Stéfano, Gento and company won 3-1 at the Bernabéu and at Old Trafford they equaled two. Madrid then won the title in the final against Fiorentina (2-0). His second crossing with the red devils was in 1968. Also in the semifinals. At Old Trafford, slight advantage for the English (1-0). And on the return leg at the Bernabéu, United passed after drawing (3-3) in a game that ended up losing 3-1. Then they would be champions by thrashing Benfica in the final (4-1). The third crossing takes us back to the year 2000, from the Eighth of Madrid with Del Bosque on the bench. They were measured in the quarterfinals. 0-0 at the Bernabéu and 2-3 at Old Trafford with the double by Raúl and the magical heel move by Fernando Redondo. Three years later the faces met again, this time in the quarterfinals. Whites win in the first leg of the Bernabéu (3-1) and great match at Old Trafford (4-3) with an imperial hat-trick by Ronald Nazario. The fifth and last time the faces have been seen was in the knockout stages of the 2012-13 Champions League. The first leg, regular (1-1 at the Bernabéu). But the return at Old Trafford was a wonderful victory (1-1) with two goals from Modric and Cristiano.

Liverpool have been the other great opponent of the Whites in Europe. They have played two finals, the 1981 European Cup in Paris (1-0 for the Reds) and the 2018 one in Kiev, with Zidane’s 3-1 triumph (Bale’s double and a goal by Benzema). They also crossed paths in two heats. In the 2008-09 season, he defeated in the first leg at the Bernabéu in the round of 16 (0-1) and debacle in Anfield on the return leg (4-0). In the 2013-14 academic year, fate united them in the group stage. Ancelotti’s men shone at Anfield (0-3) with a great Cristiano, and they also won at the Bernabéu (1-0).

The third most common English rival is the other Manchester team, City. On three occasions they crossed paths. The first in the 2012-13 season in the group stage, with a victory remembered at the Bernabéu (Mourinho’s celebration was sounded with both knees stuck in the grass) after a comeback in the last minutes (he won 3-2 with a goal Cristiano) and tied at Ettihad City (1-1). Three seasons later, the faces met again, with Zidane on the white bench and Pellegrini on the citizen bench. It was in the semifinals. 0-0 in the first leg of Ettihad and 1-0 in the return of the Bernabéu (Bale). Then he would win the Champions League in Milan against Atlético de Madrid.

With Leeds United there was a cross in the 2000-01 season, with Figo already signed. They crossed in the group of the second group. White triumph 0-2 at Leeds and another success at the Bernabéu, although suffering (3-2), with a famous goal by Raúl with the hand similar to Maradona’s to England in Mexico 86. In the following course,

In 1975 there was a huge knockout round knockout match against Derby County. Unappealable defeat in the first leg 4-1 and the first of Madrid’s great European comebacks on the return leg before 120,000 fans. 4-1 in regulation time and Santillana’s goal in overtime that eliminated the English.

There was worse luck in 2006 against Arsenal, in the only European confrontation with the Gunners. López Caro was the coach and the bad atmosphere of the team helped the Londoners. 0-1 in the first leg of the Bernabéu, with a great goal from Henry. The return at Highbury was a want and not to be able and, despite a shot by Raúl to the post, the initial 0-0 did not move and Madrid was eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16 …