Barcelona-Arsenal: From 1999-2016 all you need to know
Pep Guardiola getting elbowed in the face, an agonising Champions League final defeat for Arsene Wenger and a mauling by Lionel Messi. Arsenal are developing an unwanted history against Barcelona and one which the narrative will be added to after drawing them in the last 16 again.
They are always entertaining affairs and there have been 33 goals – 22 of those for Barcelona – at a rate of almost three a game when they have met.
But nine matches in total have yielded just one victory for Wenger’s side and, unfortunately for the Frenchman, every time they come across the Spanish side, misery and an exit from the competition is not far away.
Sportsration takes a look at where their paths have crossed during the past 17 years…
Barcelona 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-4 Barcelona
A point in the first meeting of Group B at the Nou Camp put Arsenal in a promising position to progress.
Patrick Vieira’s first-half error let Luis Enrique score to take the lead and it looked bleak when Gilles Grimandi was sent off for elbowing Pep Guardiola. But seconds later Barca goalkeeper Ruud Hesp failed to hold Davor Suker’s effort and Kanu put in the rebound late on.
Davor Suker (left) and Thierry Henry celebrate with Kanu (right) following his late equaliser in Barcelona
In the next meeting, however, Arsenal were demolished and ended up crashing out of the tournament. Luis Enrique and Rivaldo scored twice in 60 seconds after only 15 minutes. While Dennis Bergkamp pulled one back just before half-time, Luis Figo and Phillip Cocu added two more, still with 20 minutes to play, and a late Marc Overmars goal acted only to soften the score.
Barcelona 2-1 Arsenal
The Champions League still eludes Arsene Wenger but he came so close in 2006. The Stade de France final is still one of their most famous defeats and could well have been a victory had the fates not cruelly snatched it away from them.
Thierry Henry was fired up and denied twice by brilliant saves from Victor Valdes in the first three minutes. Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off after 18 minutes for bringing down Samuel Eto’o, but that did not stop Arsenal taking the lead with a thumping Sol Campbell header.
With only 14 minutes remaining, however, Barcelona struck twice in four minutes – two neat finishes from Eto’o and Julian Belletti – to win.
2010 – Quarter-final
Arsenal 2-2 Barcelona
Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal
(Barcelona win 6-3 on aggregate)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic responded to accusations that he did nothing against English clubs by scoring twice, shortly after half-time, to leave Arsenal a huge task to proceed. It was his first goals in 11 matches against English sides. But Wenger threw on Theo Walcott and he changed the tie, racing clear and shooting under Valdes before Cesc Fabregas won and scored a penalty with five minutes remaining.
When Nicklas Bendtner bundled in an early goal in the away leg, the comeback looked on, but then Lionel Messi stunned them with a first-half hat-trick – completed in 21 minutes – and four-goal haul. The pick of the goals was a deft left-foot lob over Manuel Almunia to complete his treble.
2011 – Last 16
Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona
Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal
(Barcelona win 4-3 on aggregate)
Arsenal’s only win in their seven meetings came in the first leg of their last-16 meeting in 2011. David Villa gave Barcelona what was becoming a predictable lead but Messi was the polar opposite of their last meeting and missed a succession of chances. It allowed Arsenal to take the advantage when, with 12 minutes remaining, Robin van Persie scored at the near post and Andrey Arshavin steered in Samir Nasri’s cross.
Messi, however, made amends for his misses in the second leg. He scored on the stroke of half-time and added the decisive penalty on 71 minutes. Xavi finished off a team move to level the tie on aggregate after a Sergio Busquets own goal had Arsenal back in front. But Messi put them out once again.
2016 – Last 16
Arsenal 0-2 Barcelona
Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal
(Barcelona win 5-1 on aggregate)
A breathtaking volley from Luis Suarez extinguished a brave challenge from Arsenal and helped send Barcelona through to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 win at Camp Nou.
The aggregate margin in favour of Luis Enrique’s team was 5-1 but Lionel Messi’s first-leg brace at Emirates Stadium did not discourage the Premier League side from playing with plenty of enthusiasm in Wednesday’s return.
All three of Barca’s esteemed forward trio were on target this time around.with Neymar punishing slack defending after 18 minutes.
Mohamed Elneny and Alexis Sanchez wasted chances to equalise before the break but a splendid finish from the former allowed him to chalk up a maiden Arsenal goal on the grandest of stages six minutes into the second half.
Lionel Messi set a new Champions League record by scoring more goals vs a single opponent than anyone else (nine versus Arsenal).
