Arsenal FC v CF MATCH PRESS KIT Highbury, Wednesday, 19 April 2006 - 20:45 CET Semi-finals - Matchday 11

It has been their home for 93 years and has staged 22 seasons of European football, but after this match the Highbury stadium will close for business as far as the continental game is concerned. As they take on Villarreal CF in what is both clubs© first UEFA Champions League semi-final, Arsenal FC are hoping to give the old place a memorable send-off.

Spanish opposition again · The London team, who will move to a new stadium at nearby Ashburton Grove this summer, have got this far with knockout-round victories against Real CF and Juventus, who together can boast eleven title triumphs and 19 appearances in European Champion Clubs© Cup finals. Now Arsenal tackle another Spanish side but one which has defied expectations in their maiden campaign in the élite competition.

Defensive strength · Unless they rely on penalties, Villarreal must do what none of Arsenal©s previous opponents have managed in 739 minutes ± namely score a goal.

· In ten games Arsène Wenger©s men have conceded a mere two goals and none in the last eight as they established a record for clean sheets in the competition. No player has breached their defence since Markus Rosenberg scored for AFC Ajax with 19 minutes remaining of the Matchday 2 fixture in the Amsterdam ArenA.

Unbeaten in nine · Since losing at home to Chelsea FC in the 2003/04 quarter-final second leg, the Gunners have played nine matches at Highbury in the tournament, winning six and drawing three.

· The last victory came in the quarter-final against Juventus when goals in each half from Cesc Fabregas and gave Arsenal a lead they never looked like relinquishing at the .Their aggregate triumph meant they had come through the last-eight stage for the first time in three attempts.

· That strike took Henry©s tally to five in this season©s competition. Assuming he plays in the semi-final first leg, he will be chasing his 50th goal in European football in his 101st appearance in UEFA club competition.

Away win · In the first knockout round Arsenal, in their eighth successive UEFA Champions League campaign, did the damage at the Bernabéu, winning by a single Henry goal, before holding Madrid to a scoreless draw at Highbury.

· The return game emphasised that Arsenal do not easily overturn Spanish opponents on their own ground. In seven home ties in the tournament their record is not wholly convincing with two defeats and two draws against Spanish visitors, though one of the reverses came while they were staging home matches at Wembley.

Two losses · Arsenal twice lost in the UEFA Cup Winners© Cup final to Spanish sides. Valencia CF were victors in 1979/80 and triumphed in the 1994/95 showpiece. The latter defeat came at the Parc des Princes in Paris, the host city for this year©s UEFA Champions League final.

First tie · Highbury©s first European Cup game was Arsenal©s 4-0 first round second-leg success against Norwegian club Strùmsgodset IF on 29 September 1971 with Ray Kennedy scoring the opening goal on six minutes. Arsenal had won the first leg 3-1, completing a 7-1 aggregate victory.

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Group winners · After qualifying for the tournament for the first time, Villarreal have continued to gain in strength and confidence, topping a group that included Manchester United FC and SL Benfica, and remaining unbeaten over the six games.

Crucial away strikes · In the first knockout round, a 2-2 draw at Rangers FC was followed by a 1-1 scoreline at El Madrigal with ©s equaliser early in the second half proving crucial as it enabled ©s men to progress on away goals.

· Villarreal then suffered their first defeat in the competition, 2-1 at FC Internazionale Milano in the quarter-final first leg after Diego Forlán had handed them a surprise lead. In the return, full-back Arruabarrena©s second-half header secured a 1-0 victory and another triumph on away goals.

Two©s the most · No Villarreal player has scored more than two UEFA Champions League goals so far with Arruabarrena, Forlán and Juan Román Riquelme all on that total.

English encounters · Before this season Villarreal had not played a competitive match in England ± their only meeting with Premiership opposition coming at home to Middlesbrough FC in last term©s UEFA Cup group stage, a 2-0 success.

· After finishing third in the Primera División, Villarreal©s UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie took them to Everton FC©s Goodison Park where they won 2-1 with first-half goals from Luciano Figueroa and . They repeated the scoreline in the return with Juan Pablo Sorín and Forlán on target. Goalless home and away draws with United followed in the group stage.

Recent form best · For the game at El Madrigal on 25 April, Arsenal will be seeking to repeat the form of their last two trips to Spain when they recorded victories. Before that, their previous five UEFA Champions League matches in that country had brought four straight defeats and a draw.

· With the return in mind, Villarreal will also know they have not lost in six home games in this season©s competition including the third qualifying round. They have only shipped three goals in total, and never more than one in a match.

Match facts

· No Arsenal player has played every minute of their ten UEFA Champions League games this season.

· Spanish duo Cesc Fabregas and José Antonio Reyes are the only Arsenal players to have played some part in each of the ten matches.

· Reyes will lose that record against Villarreal as his yellow card against Juventus on Matchday 10 means he has picked up a one-match ban.

· Kolo Touré is one caution away from a suspension, as is Mathieu Flamini after his early booking against Juventus in .

· Henry made his 75th appearance in the UEFA Champions League proper in the first leg against Juventus. He then made it a century of UEFA club competition matches in the Turin return but he remains a goal away from 50 in European action.

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· is six matches away from his 50th game in the UEFA Champions League, having never played any other UEFA club competition games.

· Lauren is three matches away from his 75th appearance in UEFA club competition.

· Aside from sitting out on Matchday 1, Flamini has not missed a minute for Arsenal in this season.

· , yet to make his European debut, turned 17 last month. If he finds the net against Villarreal, he will become the youngest scorer in UEFA Champions League history.

· Henry is on the UEFA Champions League top scorers© list for this season with five goals. Andriy Shevchenko leads the way with nine.

· Reyes has provided three goals for team-mates. Only Samuel Eto©o, Johan Micoud and Steven Pienaar have a better creative record in this season©s competition.

· Reyes has been fouled more times (44) than any other player in the UEFA Champions League this season.

· On 7 April, Germany coach Jürgen Klinsmann confirmed that Jens Lehmann will be his No1 goalkeeper at the FIFA World Cup, with FC Bayern München©s Oliver Kahn demoted to understudy.

· Arsenal FC©s preparation for the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final is a far cry from the rest days that preceded their match against Juventus in the quarter-final first leg at Highbury.

· On that occasion Arsène Wenger©s men©s match with Portsmouth FC was called off due to a waterlogged pitch giving them ten days rest before playing the Italian giants. This time around, though, the Premiership side have had just three days to recover from a demanding spell of four matches in ten days.

· Aleksandr Hleb, Robert Pirès and were on target in the 3-1 win against West Bromwich Albion FC on Saturday.

· Particularly pleasing for Bergkamp was the fact that his goal came on ©Supporters' Day© ± which Arsenal fans dedicated to the Dutchman. The occasion was marked by sections of the Highbury crowd donning orange T-shirts in tribute to their iconic Dutch striker, who is set to leave at the end of the season.

· A testimonial in Bergkamp©s honour has been provisionally planned against his former club AFC Ajax on 22 July. It will be the club©s first game at their new stadium at Ashburton Grove.

· Saturday©s success was Arsenal©s fourth consecutive home league win - the first time they have managed such a run since May 2005 - and fifth straight victory at Highbury.

· Arsène Wenger will be hoping that the omens are good, given that a 5-0 win against another Midlands side, Aston Villa FC, preceded their quarter-final aggregate success against Juventus.

· Saturday©s win kept Arsenal within four league points of Tottenham Hotspur FC, who remain in fourth place in the Premiership after winning at Everton FC and then losing against Manchester United FC on Monday, but meet Arsenal in the next Saturday.

· Arsenal were without Fabregas for the visit of West Brom after the suffered a recurrence of the foot problem he suffered against Aston Villa FC two weeks ago.

· Henry was substituted after 62 minutes of Saturday©s match.

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· Nigel Quashie©s strike against Arsenal on Saturday was the first goal conceded at Highbury in five games, since Luis García scored for Liverpool FC in their 2-1 defeat on 12 March.

· Arsenal©s ladies team won their third successive title with a 2-0 victory against Charlton Athletic last Thursday.

· Henry has been nominated for the Professional Footballers© Association Player of the Year award to be announced next Sunday. He is up against John Terry, and Joe Cole (Chelsea FC) and Wayne Rooney (Manchester United FC) and Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC).

· Fabregas has been nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

· made his first appearance for the London club since 1 February against Portsmouth FC on Wednesday but after making his long-awaited return from ankle and toe injuries, suffered a broken nose during the course of 1-1 draw and missed the West Brom match as a result.

· Henry©s goal against Portsmouth FC in the 1-1 draw last Wednesday was his 22nd league goal of the season, making him the Premiership©s leading marksman, one clear of Ruud van Nistelrooij. The Arsenal captain has scored nine goals in seven matches against the south-coast side.

· No Villarreal player has played every minute of the club©s UEFA Champions League campaign this season, including the third qualifying round.

· Villarreal are the only club left in the competition who came through the qualifying rounds.

· Gonzalo Rodríguez had featured in the first eleven matches of the campaign, including qualifying, only to sit out the second leg against Inter. He is now ruled out for the season with an ankle injury.

· No one in the squad has played every minute of the ten matches in the competition proper.

· Arruabarrena is one match away from his half-century of appearances in UEFA club competition. Roger García is five matches away from the same milestone, but has not figured in the last three matchdays.

· Juan Román Riquelme is four matches away from his 50th appearance in UEFA club competition.

· Alessio Tacchinardi played his 100th game in UEFA club competition, and 75th in the UEFA Champions League, on Matchday 7.

· Sebastián Viera picked up a third yellow card in the second leg against Inter and will sit out the trip to Highbury.

· Mariano Barbosa is set to deputise in goal, having been given a run in the team since Matchday 10. He has played two UEFA Champions League matches this season, on Matchdays 4 and 5, and kept a clean sheet in both games.

· and Juan Pablo Sorín will both be banned for one match if they pick up a booking against Arsenal, while Gonzalo is in a similar position but is ruled out through injury. Tacchinardi is also one caution away from his second suspension of the season in the competition.

· Gonzalo celebrated his 22nd birthday on 10 April. will be 26 on 23 April.

· Only five different Villarreal players have found the net in the competition proper this season, with three players having scored twice - Arruabarrena, Riquelme and Diego Forlán. AC Milan have the same record while Arsenal have had seven scorers and FC Barcelona nine.

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· This is the sixth time there are two Spanish teams in semi-finals of the European Champion Clubs© Cup since 1955. The first time was in 1958/59 when Real Madrid CF and Club Atlético de Madrid participated. In 1959/60, it was Madrid and Barcelona. In 1999/00, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia reached the semi-final stage and Madrid and Valencia went on to play the final. In 2000/01, again Madrid and Valencia were in the semis and Valencia went to the final.

· Villarreal have not only made history in reaching the semi-finals in their UEFA Champions League debut, but is also the second smallest town to make it to this stage in the competition. Villarreal has 47,000 inhabitants and the only smaller town is Monte Carlo (AS Monaco FC), with 32,000.

· Villarreal have become the fifth Spanish team to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League after Madrid, Barcelona, RC Deportivo La Coruña and Valencia.

· The 1-0 defeat by Barcelona on Friday was the first game in 13 matches in all competitions in which Villarreal have failed to score.

· Manuel Pellegrini©s team have failed to score in 12 matches in all competitions this term.

· Villarreal had scored at least one goal in their last nine consecutive domestic league matches before failing to score against FC Barcelona.

· Riquelme has started 22 games in the Spanish top flight this season and has scored eleven goals. He has played a total of 1,903 minutes with the team winning on ten occasions, drawing seven times and losing five.The Argentinian has had 74 shots with his right foot, eight with his left and one header. All eleven goals have come using his right foot. He has assisted six goals and also made 193 crosses.

· and Xisco Nadal have not completed a full game for Villarreal this season.

· Gonzalo has played the most minutes, with 3,298, for the team this season, while Arruabarrena is close behind with 3,273. Viera has played 3,179, Forlán has played 3,162 and Marcos Senna has played 3,071.

· Xisco Nadal has played the least of minutes for the team with just 19 to his name, while José Javier Rubio Gómez has appeared for just 90 minutes.

· Villarreal conceded their 17th goal away from home in 16 matches when they lost 1-0 to Barcelona. Only the top three teams in the division have a better record with Barça letting in 14 on their travels, Valencia 13 and Real Madrid 12.

· Viera, Sorín, Riquelme and Forlán were all rested for the game against FC Barcelona on Friday.

· Young players Alberto Collado, Marcos Gullón, José Manuel Hermosa and Ramón Soria have been called up to train with the Spain squad in preparation for the forthcoming UEFA European Under-17 Championship.

Team facts

UEFA club competition milestones · This season has witnessed Arsenal FC advance to the semi-final stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time although they have already been involved in both UEFA Cup Winners© Cup and UEFA Cup finals.

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· The London club played in three UEFA Cup Winners© Cup finals, triumphing in the 1993/94 season when they overcame Parma FC 1-0 thanks to Alan Smith©s 22nd-minute goal. The other finals ended in narrow defeats by Valencia CF and Real Zaragoza in 1979/80 and 1994/95 respectively. Following their elimination from the 1999/00 UEFA Champions League at the end of the group stage, Arsenal advanced to the UEFA Cup final only to lose on penalties to Galatasaray SK at ©s .

UEFA club competition honours · UEFA Cup Winners© Cup: 1993/94

Ten-year record · Arsenal are making their eighth successive attempt at winning the UEFA Champions League with their best performance before this season being two quarter-final appearances in the competition during the 2000/01 and 2003/04 seasons. On the first occasion, the Gunners lost on away goals to Valencia CF after the two sides shared four goals, while more recently, Chelsea FC denied them a place in the last four with a 3-2 aggregate success that included a 2-1 victory at Highbury.

1996/97: UEFA Cup, first round 1997/98: UEFA Cup, first round 1998/99: UEFA Champions League, group stage 1999/00: UEFA Cup, finalists having transferred from the UEFA Champions League group stage 2000/01: UEFA Champions League, quarter-finals 2001/02: UEFA Champions League, second group stage 2002/03: UEFA Champions League, second group stage 2003/04: UEFA Champions League, quarter-finals 2004/05: UEFA Champions League, first knockout round 2005/06: UEFA Champions League, semi-finals

2005/06 season · In the 2004/05 season, Arsenal trailed Chelsea by 12 points in the English Premiership, finishing second ahead of Manchester United FC by a further six points. The second-placed finish provided Arsenal with an automatic spot in the group stage, extending their sequence of never having played a qualifying round match in the competition.

· Arsenal advanced to the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League group stage as one of the 16 automatic qualifiers.

· With five victories from their opening five engagements, Arsenal qualified with some ease for the knockout stages. The only blemish to their record came on Matchday 6 when they were held to a scoreless draw by AFC Ajax. Otherwise, the record books show ten goals scored and two conceded from their six matches.

· A daunting trip to the Santiago Bernabéu to face Real Madrid CF was the Gunners© reward for topping their group, but a Thierry Henry goal separated the sides before they battled out a scoreless draw in the return leg in the English capital, thus providing Arsenal with their third trip to the quarter-finals in the last six years.

· Arsenal then reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time in their history after a goalless draw away to Juventus earned them a 2-0 aggregate win. The Gunners had earlier won in London as goals in each half from Cesc Fabregas (40) and Thierry Henry (69) gave them a two-goal advantage that Juve were unable to breach.

Key facts · To date, the Gunners have played 78 matches in the UEFA Champions League, winning 35, drawing 22 and losing 21. In that time, Arsenal have scored 110 goals and conceded 83.

· Their overall European Champion Clubs© Cup record (including all qualifying round matches) reads, played 88, won 40, drawn 23 and lost 25 with 131 goals scored and 93 conceded.

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· Overall, Arsenal have played 142 matches in UEFA club competition with 67 wins, 38 draws and 37 losses. In those matches, they have scored 224 times while conceding 147 goals.

Records UEFA club competition · Biggest win 0-7: R. Standard de Liège v Arsenal FC 03.11.1993, 1993/94 UEFA Cup Winners© Cup, second round, second leg Having won the opening leg 3-0 in London, Arsenal heaped further misery on Standard, running up seven goals without reply in a season in which they went on to win the competition. Kevin Campbell (42 and 80 minutes) scored twice with other goals from Alan Smith (3), Ian Selley (20), (36), Paul Merson (72) and Eddie McGoldrick (81).

· Biggest home win 6-1: Arsenal FC v FK Austria Wien 18.09.1991, 1991/92 European Champion Clubs© Cup, first round, first leg Four second-half goals from Alan Smith (51, 53, 65 and 65 minutes) including two in a minute effectively ended Austria Wien©s interest in the competition. Andy Linighan (37) and Anders Limpar (77) started and finished the scoring with Andy Ogris (56) getting the Austrians© consolation.

· Biggest away win 0-7: R. Standard de Liège v Arsenal FC (see above for details)

· Heaviest defeat 0-3: Arsenal FC v FC Internazionale Milano 17.09.2003, 2003/04 UEFA Champions League, group stage The Gunners© group stage campaign got off to the worst possible start against Inter as goals from Julio Cruz (22), Andy van der Meyde (24) and Obafemi Martins (41) condemned them to a 3-0 defeat at Highbury. Arsenal would eventually recover to advance to the knockout stage, gaining revenge for the 3-0 reverse in London by defeating Inter 5-1 at the Giuseppe Meazza. 4-1: FC Spartak Moskva v Arsenal FC 22.11.2000, 2000/01 UEFA Champions League, second group stage Arsenal opened the second group stage with a comprehensive defeat at the despite taking the lead after two minutes through Silvinho. Marçao (29 and 50 minutes) scored either side of the interval before Egor Titov (77) and Robson (82) rounded off a comfortable win for the Russian side. 3-0: FC Shakhtar Donetsk v Arsenal FC 07.11.2000, 2000/01 UEFA Champions League, first group stage With their qualification assured for the second group stage, Arsenal failed to trouble Shakhtar in the Ukraine with Serhiy Atelkin (34), Andriy Vorobey (57) and Olexiy Bielik (66) scoring for the home side. 2-5: Arsenal FC v SK Spartak Moskva 29.09.1982, 1982/83 UEFA Cup, first round, second leg Trailing 3-2 from the opening leg in the Soviet capital, Arsenal found themselves four goals in arrears to Spartak at Highbury following goals from Sergei Schvetsov (22), Sergei Rodionov (56) and Fyodor Cherenkov (65 and 72). Chris Whyte (74) and Lee Chapman (89) scored Arsenal©s consolation goals, sandwiching an Edgar Hess (78) strike for the visitors who advanced 8-4 on aggregate.

· Heaviest home defeat 0-3: Arsenal FC v FC Internazionale Milano (see above for details) 2-5: Arsenal FC v SK Spartak Moskva (see above for details)

· Heaviest away defeat 4-1: FC Spartak Moskva v Arsenal FC (see above for details) 3-0: FC Shakhtar Donetsk v Arsenal FC (see above for details)

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UEFA Champions League (group stage to final only) · Biggest win 5-1: Arsenal FC v Rosenborg BK 07.12.2004, 2004/05 UEFA Champions League, group stage Arsenal concluded their group stage campaign with a 5-1 defeat of Rosenborg at Highbury, spreading the goalscoring plaudits among five players - José Antonio Reyes (3), Thierry Henry (24), Cesc Fabregas (29), Robert Pirès (41) and (84) with Erik Hoftun (38) on target for the visitors© consolation. 1-5: FC Internazionale Milano v Arsenal FC 25.11.2003, 2003/04 UEFA Champions League, group stage Three goals in the last five minutes condemned Inter to a four-goal defeat with Thierry Henry (25 and 85) and Robert Pirès (88 and 89) both scoring twice as the Gunners gained revenge for their 3-0 home defeat on the opening matchday. 0-4: PSV Eindhoven v Arsenal FC 25.09.2002, 2002/03 UEFA Champions League, group stage Ahead after 20.07 seconds through , Arsenal added three second-half goals through Fredrik Ljungberg (66) and Thierry Henry (81 and 90+2) to complete a comfortable victory in Eindhoven.

· Biggest home win 5-1: Arsenal FC v Rosenborg BK (see above for details)

· Biggest away win 1-5: FC Internazionale Milano v Arsenal FC (see above for details) 0-4: PSV Eindhoven v Arsenal FC (see above for details)

· Heaviest defeat 4-1: FC Spartak Moskva v Arsenal FC (see above for details) 3-0: FC Shakhtar Donetsk v Arsenal FC (see above for details)

· Heaviest home defeat 0-3: Arsenal FC v FC Internazionale Milano (see above for details)

· Heaviest away defeat 4-1: FC Spartak Moskva v Arsenal FC (see above for details)

Last updated: 13 April 2006

UEFA club competition milestones · Villarreal CF©s best performance in advance of qualifying for the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League semi-finals came during the 2003/04 season when they qualified from the UEFA Intertoto Cup to eventually play in a UEFA Cup semi-finals only to exit 1-0 on aggregate to Valencia CF.

· Villarreal©s first match in UEFA club competition came on 6 July 2002 when they defeated Icelandic side FH Hafnarfjördur 2-0 in a UEFA Intertoto Cup second round tie.

UEFA club competition honours · UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2003, 2004

Ten-year record · Villarreal CF have gradually advanced through various UEFA competitions in the past four seasons, reaching the UEFA Intertoto Cup finals in 2002, a competition they would enter in 2003 and 2004 to help sustain a long campaign in the UEFA Cup as qualification for semi-finals and quarter-finals in back-to-back seasons proves.

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1996/97: Did not compete in UEFA club competitions 1997/98: Did not compete in UEFA club competitions 1998/99: Did not compete in UEFA club competitions 1999/00: Did not compete in UEFA club competitions 2000/01: Did not compete in UEFA club competitions 2001/02: Did not compete in UEFA club competitions 2002/03: UEFA Intertoto Cup, finals 2003/04: UEFA Cup, semi-finals, having qualified via the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2004/05: UEFA Cup, quarter-finals, having qualified via the UEFA Intertoto Cup 2005/06: UEFA Champions League, semi-finals

2005/06 season · Villarreal finished third in the 2004/05 Spanish Primera División, 19 points behind champions FC Barcelona and 15 points adrift of second-placed Real Madrid CF. Balompié followed three points behind in fourth place.

· Thus entering the UEFA Champions League in the third qualifying round stage, Villarreal dispatched Everton FC in a 4-2 aggregate success, winning both legs 2-1.

· Making their first appearance in the group stage proper against the side with the most matches under their belt in the competition, namely Manchester United FC with 113 before Matchday 1, did not deter Villarreal as they held their English rivals at bay to record a creditable scoreless draw.

· They would remain unbeaten throughout the group stage, winning twice and drawing on four occasions to top the standings, two points clear of SL Benfica despite scoring only three times. Villarreal©s two victories came away to Benfica (1-0) on Matchday 4 and at home to LOSC Métropole (1-0) in the final series of matches. Three of their other matches ended in scoreless draws, the other result being a 1-1 stalemate at home to Benfica. Despite their lack of firepower, Villarreal conceded only once from their six outings and at no stage in the group stage did the Spanish side trail their opponents.

· In the first knockout round, Villarreal advanced on away goals against Rangers FC after the sides shared six goals. The opening leg in Glasgow ended in a 2-2 draw with the Spanish side pegged back on two occasions. Indeed, Rangers took the lead in the return leg through Peter Lùvenkrands after 12 minutes as Villarreal fought against a deficit for the first time in the competition. However, four minutes into the second half, they restored parity and booked their place in the last eight thanks to Rodolfo Arrubarrena©s equaliser.

· The Spanish side then overcame a first leg deficit to beat FC Internazionale Milano on away goals in the quarter-finals. In the first leg, substitute Obafemi Martins helped Inter to an impressive 2-1 victory at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium. Martins came on just after the half-hour but it was after the restart that he found his feet, scoring what proved to be the decisive goal on 54 minutes. The win looked unlikely early on as Diego Forlán gave Villarreal a shock lead in the first minute, but Adriano equalised six minutes later before the night was to belong to fellow forward Martins. But in the return, Villarreal full-back Rodolfo Arruabarrena (58) headed the crucial second-half goal that was the culmination of a barnstorming display, notably from Juan Román Riquelme, Forlán and Alessio Tacchinardi, during which the Italian team came under constant pressure as the Spanish side advanced on away goals.

Key facts · Villarreal have played 58 matches overall in UEFA club competition, winning 28, drawing 22, losing eight while scoring 77 times and conceding 36 goals.

· Overall in the UEFA Champions League/European Champion Clubs© Cup, they have only lost one of their 12 matches to date with five wins and six draws completing their record. In those games, the Spanish side have scored 12 goals and conceded eight.

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Records UEFA club competitions · Biggest win 4-0: Villarreal CF 4-0 Egaleo FC 15.12.2004, 2004/05 UEFA Cup, group stage Villarreal finished their four-match group campaign with two away draws and two home victories, the most clear-cut win coming at Greek side Egaleo©s expense - Héctor Font (13), Antonio Guayre (39), Javi Venta (52) and Santiago Cazorla (63) were all on the scoresheet.

· Biggest home win 4-0: Villarreal CF v Egaleo FC (see above for details)

· Biggest away win 0-3: BK v Villarreal CF 03.07.2004, 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup, second round, first leg Second-half goals from (66), Santiago Cazorla (69) and Antonio Guayre (87) provided Villarreal with a comfortable away success against their Danish rivals - they would go on to win the tie 5-0 on aggregate. 0-3: ES Troyes Aube Champagne v Villarreal CF 07.08.2002, UEFA Intertoto Cup, semi-finals, second leg Having been held to a scoreless draw at home, Villarreal were actually defeated 2-1 on the field of play, but Troyes fielded an ineligible player and the match was subsequently awarded as a 3-0 forfeit to the Spanish side.

· Heaviest defeat 2-0: Club Atlético de Madrid v Villarreal CF 24.08.2004, 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup, finals, second leg Villarreal took a two-goal advantage into the second leg match against their Spanish rivals, but were undone by two second half strikes before winning the penalty shootout (3-1) after the sides remained deadlocked after extra-time. 2-0: Torino Calcio v Villarreal CF 21.07.2002, 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup third round, first leg Despite losing 2-0 in Turin, Villarreal would win by the same scoreline in the return leg before advancing following a penalty shootout (4-3) against their Italian opponents.

· Heaviest home defeat 1-2: Villarreal CF v AZ Alkmaar 07.04.2005, 2004/05 UEFA Cup, quarter-finals, first leg The Spanish side lost at home thanks to goals from Danny Landzaat (11) and Robin Nelisse (74) for AZ with Juan Román Riquelme (13) on the scoresheet for Villarreal - AZ would eventually advance after the sides shared a 1-1 draw in the Netherlands in the return match. 0-1: Villarreal CF v Málaga CF 13.08.2002, 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup, finals, first leg

· Heaviest away defeat 2-0: Club Atlético de Madrid v Villarreal CF (see above for details) 2-0: Torino Calcio v Villarreal CF (see above for details)

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UEFA Champions League (group stage to final only) · Biggest win 1-0: Villarreal CF v FC Internazionale Milano 04.04.02006, 2005/06 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, second leg Full-back Rodolfo Arruabarrena (58) headed the crucial second-half goal that was the culmination of a barnstorming display by Villarreal that saw them advance on away goals to the last four. 1-0: Villarreal CF v LOSC Lille Métropole 07.12.2005, 2005/06 UEFA Champions League group stage Antonio Guayre©s 67th-minute goal on Matchday 6 provided Villarreal with a first-placed finish in the group standings and a place in the competition©s knockout stages at their first attempt. 0-1: SL Benfica v Villarreal CF 02.11.2005, 2005/06 UEFA Champions League group stage Marcos Senna undid Benfica with the only goal of the game nine minutes from time as Villarreal recorded their first victory in the UEFA Champions League proper.

· Biggest home win 1-0: Villarreal CF v FC Internazionale Milano (see above for details) 1-0: Villarreal CF v LOSC Lille Métropole (see above for details)

· Biggest away win 0-1: SL Benfica v Villarreal CF (see above for details)

· Heaviest defeat 1-2: FC Internazionale Milano v Villarreal CF 29.03.2006, 2005/06 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, first leg A live-wire performance from substitute Obafemi Martins helped Inter to an impressive 2-1 victory against Villarreal CF at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium. Martins came on just after the half-hour but it was after the restart that he found his feet, scoring what proved to be the decisive goal on 54 minutes. The win looked unlikely early on as Diego Forlán gave Villarreal a shock lead in the first minute, but Adriano equalised six minutes later before the night was to belong to fellow forward Martins.

· Heaviest home defeat None.

· Heaviest away defeat 1-2: FC Internazionale Milano v Villarreal CF (see above for details)

Last updated: 13 April 2006

Competition facts

· UEFA Champions League: Did you know?

Knockout streak: In qualifying for the 2005/06 knockout phase, Real Madrid CF tied Manchester United FC©s record of nine consecutive seasons in advancing past the group stage. While United©s streak came to an end this season, Madrid have featured in the knockout phase every time since the 1996/97 campaign. Regarding other teams in this season©s knockout phase, both AC Milan and Juventus have qualified for the last four knockout stages, one ahead of Arsenal FC, FC Bayern München, Chelsea FC and .

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Last eight: Milan have advanced to the last eight of the UEFA Champions League in each of the past four seasons, winning the 2002/03 final against Juventus but losing the 2004/05 showpiece to Liverpool FC. Both finals went to penalty shoot-outs. Milan were eliminated at the quarter-final stage in the 2003/04 season by RC Deportivo La Coruña. Lyon are making their third consecutive trip to the quarter-final stage, but on the previous two occasions the French side have ended on the losing side: in 2003/04 to eventual competition winners FC Porto and then in 2004/05 to PSV Eindhoven.

Semi-finals: Semi-final opponents Arsenal and Villarreal CF are appearing in the last four of the competition for the first time in their history. Barça have qualified for the UEFA Champions League semis on three occasions, their only success coming in the 1993/94 season when defeating Porto 3-0. The Catalan side then faced Milan in the final, only to lose 4-0. Barcelona will be looking to avenge that defeat as they meet Milan in this season©s semis, but will be wary of the fact that the Italian side have reached this stage of the competition on five occasions before this season and they have yet to be denied a place in the final.

No qualifiers: Arsenal are the only club in this season©s knockout phase never to have played a UEFA Champions League qualifying-round match.To date, all of Arsenal©s matches have been restricted to the group stage and beyond.

Debutants: Villarreal CF are the only debutants to advance to this season©s knockout phase as FC Artmedia, FC Thun, Real Betis Balompié and all failed to advance beyond the group stage.To date, three debutants have won the competition (1992/93, first UEFA Champions League final), AFC Ajax (1994/95) and Juventus (1995/96).

Key dates: This season©s showpiece will be played at the in Paris on Wednesday 17 May 2006. The draw for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final took place in the French capital on 10 March 2006.

Semi-finals 1: Arsenal v Villarreal 2: Milan v Barcelona

Final 1: Winners semi-final 2 v Winners semi-final 1

· UEFA Champions League: All-time records

Biggest wins 8-3: AS Monaco FC v RC Deportivo La Coruña (05.11.2003) 7-0: Juventus v Olympiacos CFP (10.12.2003) 7-2: Paris Saint-Germain FC v Rosenborg BK (24.10.2000) 7-2: Olympique Lyonnais v Werder Bremen (08.03.2005) 6-0: Olympique de Marseille v PFC CSKA Moskva (17.03.1993) 6-0: Leeds United AFC v Besiktas JK (26.09.2000) 6-0: Real Madrid CF v KRC (25.09.2002) Monaco©s record victory was achieved in part thanks to the exploits of Dado Pršo, who scored four of his seven 2003/04 UEFA Champions League goals that evening against Deportivo. Only one team has scored more than five goals in an away game, Manchester United FC winning 6-2 at Brùndby IF in 1998/99.

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Most goals in a season 12: Ruud van Nistelrooij (Manchester United FC, 2002/03) 10: Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus, 1997/98) 10: Mário Jardel (FC Porto, 1999/00) 10: (FC Barcelona, 1999/00) 10: Raúl González (Real Madrid CF, 1999/00) 10: Ruud van Nistelrooij (Manchester United FC, 2001/02) 10: (AC Milan, 2002/03) Ruud van Nistelrooij has finished UEFA Champions League top goalscorer in three of the past four seasons, with Fernando Morientes (then with AS Monaco FC) pipping him to that feat with nine in 2003/04.

Four goals in a match Marco van Basten (AC Milan 4-0 IFK Göteborg, 25.11.1992) Simone Inzaghi (S.S. Lazio 5-1 Olympique de Marseille, 14.03.2000) Dado Pršo (AS Monaco FC 8-3 RC Deportivo La Coruña, 05.11.2003) Ruud van Nistelrooij (Manchester United FC 4-1 AC Sparta Praha, 03.11.2004) Andriy Shevchenko (Fenerbahçe SK 0-4 AC Milan, 23.11.2005) Of these four-goal hauls, Dado Pršo©s against Deportivo was the quickest. He scored his first goal 26 minutes into the game and his fourth just 23 minutes later.

Fastest goal in a match 20.07 secs: Gilberto (PSV Eindoven 0-4 Arsenal FC, 25.09.2002) 20.12 secs: Alessandro Del Piero (Manchester United FC 3-2 Juventus, 01.10.1997) 21.20 secs: Clarence Seedorf (FC Schalke 04 2-2 AC Milan, 28.09.2005) 25.40 secs: Marek Kincl (Club Brugge KV 3-2 SK Rapid Wien, 02.11.2005) 28.21 secs: Mariano Bombardo (Willem II 3-4 AC Sparta Praha, 20.10.1999) AC Milan©s joy at Clarence Seedorf©s first-minute goal against FC Schalke 04 was short-lived - Sùren Larsen equalised for the home side in the third minute.

Fastest hat-tricks 9 mins: Mike Newell (Blackburn Rovers FC 4-1 Rosenborg BK, 06.12.1995) 19 mins: Marco Simone (Rosenborg BK 1-4 AC Milan, 25.09.1996) 19 mins: Dado Pršo (AS Monaco FC 8-3 RC Deportivo La Coruña, 05.11.2003) 21 mins: Sigurd Rushfeldt (Rosenborg BK 3-0 Galatasaray SK, 21.10.1998) 21 mins: Simone Inzaghi (S.S. Lazio 5-1 Olympique de Marseille, 14.03.2000) Rosenborg conceded 16 goals the season Mike Newell scored his rapid hat-trick, three fewer than the UEFA Champions League group stage record set by Hungarian side Ferencvárosi TC the same season.

Youngest players to score 17 years, 195 days: Peter Oforiquaye (Rosenborg BK 5-1 Olympiacos CFP, 01.10.1997) 17 years, 218 days: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal FC 5-1 Rosenborg BK, 07.12.2004) 17 years, 241 days: Martin Klein (Panathinaikos FC 2-1 AC Sparta Praha, 27.02.2002) 18 years, 61 days: Sammy Kuffour (FC Bayern München 2-2 FC Spartak Moskva, 02.11.1994) 18 years, 70 days: Andriy Shevchenko (FC Dynamo Kyiv 1-4 FC Bayern München, 07.12.1994) Peter Oforiquaye became the youngest player to score, but Celestine Babayaro is still the youngest player to appear, having begun RSC Anderlecht©s game against FC Steaua Bucuresti on 23 November 1994 aged 16 years and 87 days.

· UEFA club competition and UEFA Champions League: All-time record appearances and goalscoring

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Appearances: UEFA club competition Note: Players listed in bold are still involved in this season©s competitions (UEFA Champions League or UEFA Cup) 158 Paolo Maldini (AC Milan) 130 Frank de Boer (AFC Ajax, FC Barcelona, Galatasaray SK) 129 Luís Figo (Sporting Clube de Portugal, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid CF, FC Internazionale Milano) 124 Oliver Kahn (Karslruher SC, FC Bayern München) 122 Zinédine Zidane (AS Cannes, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Juventus, Real Madrid CF) 117 Giuseppe Bergomi (FC Internazionale Milano) 117 Alessandro Costacurta (AC Milan) 114 Phillip Cocu (BV Vitesse, PSV Eindhoven, FC Barcelona) 112 Stefan Reuter (1. FC Nürnberg, FC Bayern München, Juventus, BV Borussia ) 109 Amedeo Carboni (UC Sampdoria, AS Roma, Valencia CF) 110 Pavel Nedvěd (AC Sparta Praha, S.S. Lazio, Juventus) 109 Raúl González (Real Madrid CF) 109 Roberto Carlos (FC Internazionale Milano, Real Madrid CF) 108 Vítor Baía (FC Porto, FC Barcelona) 108 Clarence Seedorf (AFC Ajax, Real Madrid CF, FC Internazionale Milano, AC Milan) 107 (Manchester United FC, Real Madrid CF) 107 Stefan Klos (BV , Rangers FC) 107 Roar Strand (Rosenborg BK) 106 Filip De Wilde (KSK Beveren, RSC Anderlecht, Sporting Clube de Portugal) 106 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) 106 Fernando Hierro (Real Madrid CF) 105 Michel Preud©homme (R. Standard de Liège, KV Mechelen, SL Benfica) 104 Claude Makelele (FC Nantes Atlantique, RC Celta de Vigo, Real Madrid CF, Chelsea FC) 104 Gert Verheyen (RSC Anderlecht, Club Brugge KV) 103 Ciro Ferrara (SSC Napoli, Juventus) 103 Lilian Thuram (AS Monaco FC, Parma FC, Juventus) 102 Ryan Giggs (Manchester United FC) 102 Gary Neville (Manchester United FC) 102 Alessio Tacchinardi (Juventus, Villarreal CF) 101 Bülent Korkmaz (Galatasaray SK) 101 Manuel Sanchís (Real Madrid CF) 100 Edgar Davids (AFC Ajax, AC Milan, Juventus, FC Internazionale Milano) 100 Thierry Henry (AS Monaco FC, Arsenal FC) 100 Lothar Matthäus (VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Bayern München, FC Internazionale Milano) 99 Bixente Lizarazu (Athletic Club Bilbao, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, FC Bayern München) 98 Angelo Peruzzi (AS Roma, Juventus, S.S. Lazio) 97 Francisco Gento (Real Madrid CF) 97 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (FC Bayern München, FC Internazionale Milano, Servette FC) 96 (AFC Ajax, Arsenal FC, FC Barcelona) 95 Ray Clemence (Liverpool FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC) 95 (CF Sportul Studentesc, FC Steaua Bucuresti, Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona, Galatasaray SK) 95 Erik Hoftun (Rosenborg BK)

Appearances: UEFA club competition Note: This list contains players still involved in this season©s competition 158 Paolo Maldini (AC Milan) 117 Alessandro Costacurta (AC Milan) 108 Clarence Seedorf (AC Milan) 102 Alessio Tacchinardi (Villarreal CF) 100 Thierry Henry (Arsenal FC)

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Appearances: UEFA Champions League Note: This list considers group stage to final only and contains players still involved in this season©s competition 95 Paolo Maldini (AC Milan) 80 Clarence Seedorf (AC Milan) 77 Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan) 77 Alessio Tacchinardi (Villarreal CF) 76 Thierry Henry (Arsenal FC) 71 Robert Pirès (Arsenal FC)

Appearances: UEFA Champions League Note: This list considers group stage to final only and contains other players who played in this season©s competition but who are no longer involved 101 Raúl González (Real Madrid CF) 99 Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid CF) 97 David Beckham (Real Madrid CF) 94 Oliver Kahn (FC Bayern München) 92 Gary Neville (Manchester United FC) 90 Luís Figo (FC Internazionale Milano) 87 Ryan Giggs (Manchester United FC) 84 Paul Scholes (Manchester United FC) 80 Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid CF) 79 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) 77 Míchel Salgado (Real Madrid CF) 76 Iván Helguera (Real Madrid CF) 75 Fernando Morientes (Liverpool FC) 75 Hasan Salihamidžić (FC Bayern München) 74 (Real Madrid CF) 74 Claude Makelele (Chelsea FC) 72 Phillip Cocu (PSV Eindhoven) 71 (Real Madrid CF) 71 Michael Reiziger (PSV Eindhoven) 71 Ole Gunnar Solskjñr (Manchester United FC) 70 Sylvain Wiltord (Olympique Lyonnais) 68 Gianluca Pessotto (Juventus) 67 Rivaldo (Olympiacos CFP) 66 Roar Strand (Rosenborg BK)

Goals: UEFA club competition Note: Players listed in bold are still involved in this season©s competitions (UEFA Champions League or UEFA Cup) 62 Gerd Müller (FC Bayern München) 56 Eusébio (SL Benfica) 56 Andriy Shevchenko (FC Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan) 53 Raúl González (Real Madrid CF) 52 Filippo Inzaghi (Parma FC, Juventus, AC Milan) 50 Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid CF) 49 Thierry Henry (AS Monaco FC, Arsenal FC) 47 Carlos Santillana (Real Madrid CF) 47 Ruud van Nistelrooij (PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United FC) 46 Henrik Larsson (Feyenoord, Celtic FC, FC Barcelona) 45 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) 45 (Hannover 96, VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach)

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Goals: UEFA club competition Note: This list contains players still involved in this season©s competition 56 Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan) 52 Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan) 49 Thierry Henry (Arsenal FC) 46 Henrik Larsson (FC Barcelona) 30 Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal FC)

Goals: UEFA Champions League Note: This list considers group stage to final only and contains players still involved in this season©s competition 43 Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan) 41 Thierry Henry (Arsenal FC) 34 Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan)

Goals: UEFA Champions League Note: This list considers group stage to final only and contains other players who played in this season©s competition but who are no longer involved 51 Raúl González (Real Madrid CF) 43 Ruud van Nistelrooij (Manchester United FC) 37 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) 28 David Trezeguet (Juventus) 27 Fernando Morientes (Liverpool FC) 27 Roy Makaay (FC Bayern München) 27 Rivaldo (Olympiacos CFP) 24 Luís Figo (FC Internazionale Milano) 23 Hernán Crespo (Chelsea FC) 21 Ryan Giggs (Manchester United FC)

Goals: UEFA Champions League/European Champion Clubs© Cup Note: This list considers the all-time goalscorers list in both competitions including all qualifying round matches; Players listed in bold are still involved in this season©s competitions (UEFA Champions League or UEFA Cup) 52 Andriy Shevchenko (FC Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan) 51 Raúl González (Real Madrid CF) 49 Alfredo Di Stéfano (Real Madrid CF) 47 Eusébio (SL Benfica) 47 Ruud van Nistelrooij (PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United FC) 41 Thierry Henry (AS Monaco FC, Arsenal FC) 38 Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus) 36 Filippo Inzaghi (Parma FC, Juventus, AC Milan)

Last updated: 13 April 2006

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Head coach profiles

Arsène Wenger Date of birth: 22 October 1949 Nationality: French Playing career: AS Mutzig, FC Mulhouse, AS Vauban, RC Strasbourg Coaching career: RC Strasbourg (assistant coach), AS Cannes (assistant coach), AS Nancy-Lorraine, AS Monaco FC, Nagoya Grampus Eight, Arsenal FC

Arsène Wenger was never covered in glory as a player, but has more than made up for his lack of playing success in his time as a coach, turning Arsenal FC into one of Europe©s top teams thanks to his incredible eye for a bargain and his astute footballing mind.

Born in Strasbourg in 1949, Wenger worked at RC Strasbourg and AS Cannes before AS Nancy-Lorraine offered him his big break into management. He impressed sufficiently to be offered the job as coach of AS Monaco FC in 1987. Within a year Monaco scooped the French championship and Wenger the Manager of the Year award. He reportedly turned down France and FC Bayern München to continue at Monaco, although he did move on to Japan and enjoy tremendous success with Nagoya Grampus Eight.

Appointed by Arsenal in September 1996, Wenger became the first foreigner to win the Premiership title in 1998, adding the first of four FA Cup triumphs to boot. The Gunners lost the 2000 UEFA Cup final to Galatasaray SK but claimed another double in 2002, and in 2004 played some swashbuckling football en route to becoming the first team since Preston North End FC in 1889 to negotiate a top-flight season unbeaten. Already given the freedom of Islington for his success in north London, Wenger©s status would rise to God-like levels should he steer Arsenal to UEFA Champions League glory.

Manuel Pellegrini Date of birth: 16 September 1953 Nationality: Chilean Playing career: Universidad de Chile Coaching career: Universidad de Chile, CD Palestino (three times), Chile (Under-20s), CD O©Higgins, Universidad Católica, Liga Deportiva Universitaria (Quito), Atlético , CA River Plate, Villarreal CF

Manuel Pellegrini was chosen to replace after the latter©s resignation from Villarreal CF in February 2004, but had to wait three months before assuming control of first-team affairs as Floro©s assistant Francisco García took charge for the remainder of that season.

Once installed, the Chilean proved highly successful, guiding the club to a fourth-place finish in the Primera División to earn UEFA Champions League qualification for the first time. Villarreal also reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup having won the UEFA Intertoto Cup for the second successive year in summer 2004. Pellegrini©s gift lies in getting the best from players who have failed to hit the heights at their previous clubs. Juan Román Riquelme and Diego Forlán, disappointing at FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC respectively, have flourished at El Madrigal, the latter finishing as Spain©s leading scorer in 2004/05 with 25 goals.

Pellegrini is a much-travelled coach enjoying his first stint in Europe. He coached nine clubs in Chile, Ecuador and , including giants CA River Plate, before being lured across the Atlantic. At Villarreal he has introduced a large South American presence, including Riquelme, Forlán and captain Juan Pablo Sorín.

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All-time statistics

Head-to-head record No matches have been played between the two clubs

Home team©s record versus clubs from the away team©s country Date Comp. Stage Match Res Venue 14.05.1980 UCWC F Valencia CF - Arsenal FC 0-0*(5-4) Brussels 10.05.1995 UCWC F Arsenal FC - Real Zaragoza 1-2 Paris 29.09.1999 UCL GS1 FC Barcelona - Arsenal FC 1-1 Barcelona 19.10.1999 UCL GS1 Arsenal FC - FC Barcelona 2-4 London 02.03.2000 UCUP R4 Arsenal FC - RC Deportivo La Coruña 5-1 London 09.03.2000 UCUP R4 RC Deportivo La Coruña - Arsenal FC 2-1 La Coruna 04.04.2001 UCL QF Arsenal FC - Valencia CF 2-1 London 17.04.2001 UCL QF Valencia CF - Arsenal FC 1-0 Valencia 11.09.2001 UCL GS1 RCD Mallorca - Arsenal FC 1-0 Palma de Mallorca 24.10.2001 UCL GS1 Arsenal FC - RCD Mallorca 3-1 London 21.11.2001 UCL GS2 RC Deportivo La Coruña - Arsenal FC 2-0 La Coruna 12.03.2002 UCL GS2 Arsenal FC - RC Deportivo La Coruña 0-2 London 10.12.2002 UCL GS2 Arsenal FC - Valencia CF 0-0 London 19.03.2003 UCL GS2 Valencia CF - Arsenal FC 2-1 Valencia 24.02.2004 UCL 1/8 RC Celta de Vigo - Arsenal FC 2-3 Vigo 10.03.2004 UCL 1/8 Arsenal FC - RC Celta de Vigo 2-0 London 21.02.2006 UCL 1/8 Real Madrid CF - Arsenal FC 0-1 Madrid 08.03.2006 UCL 1/8 Arsenal FC - Real Madrid CF 0-0 London Overall record Pld W D L GF GA Arsenal FC 18 6 3 9 22 22

Away team©s record versus clubs from the home team©s country Date Comp. Stage Match Res Venue 25.11.2004 UCUP GS Villarreal CF - Middlesbrough FC 2-0 Villarreal 09.08.2005 UCL QR3 Everton FC - Villarreal CF 1-2 Liverpool 24.08.2005 UCL QR3 Villarreal CF - Everton FC 2-1 Villarreal 14.09.2005 UCL GS Villarreal CF - Manchester United FC 0-0 Villarreal 22.11.2005 UCL GS Manchester United FC - Villarreal CF 0-0 Manchester Overall record Pld W D L GF GA Villarreal CF 5 3 2 0 6 2

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UEFA club competition record

Arsenal FC Pld W D L GF GA European Champions Clubs© Cup / UEFA Champions 88 40 23 25 131 93 League UEFA Cup Winners© Cup 27 15 10 2 48 20 UEFA Cup 25 12 4 9 45 32 UEFA 2 0 1 1 0 2 UEFA Intertoto Cup 0 0 0 0 0 0 European/South American Cup 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 142 67 38 37 224 147

Villarreal CF Pld W D L GF GA European Champions Clubs© Cup / UEFA Champions 12 5 6 1 12 8 League UEFA Cup Winners© Cup 0 0 0 0 0 0 UEFA Cup 24 11 9 4 35 15 UEFA Super Cup 0 0 0 0 0 0 UEFA Intertoto Cup 22 12 7 3 30 13 European/South American Cup 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 58 28 22 8 77 36

UEFA Champions League (group stage to final only) record

Arsenal FC Pld W D L GF GA UEFA Champions League 78 35 22 21 110 83

Villarreal CF Pld W D L GF GA UEFA Champions League 10 3 6 1 8 6

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Squad list

Arsenal FC Current Season All-time UCLQ UCL League UCL UEFA No Player Nat. DoB Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers 1 Jens Lehmann GER 10.11.69 - - 5 - 34 - 46 - 82 - 21 Mart Poom EST 03.02.72 ------2 - 24 Manuel Almunia ESP 19.05.77 - - 5 - - - 6 - 6 - 39 Mark Howard ENG 21.09.86 ------40 Michael Jordan ENG 07.04.86 ------42 Vito Mannone ITA 02.03.88 ------Defenders 3 Ashley Cole ENG 20.12.80 - - 2 - 8 - 44 1 44 1 12 Lauren CMR 19.01.77 - - 6 - 22 - 53 1 72 2 18 Pascal Cygan FRA 29.04.74 - - 3 - 12 2 25 - 30 - 20 SUI 14.02.85 - - 6 - 19 2 7 - 9 - 22 Gaël Clichy FRA 26.07.85 - - 3 - 6 - 6 - 6 - 23 Sol Campbell ENG 18.09.74 - - 4 - 17 2 37 - 39 - 27 Emmanuel Eboué CIV 04.06.83 - - 8 - 14 - 8 - 15 - 28 Kolo Touré CIV 19.03.81 - - 9 - 29 - 34 1 34 1 34 Matthew Connolly ENG 24.09.87 ------36 SUI 18.01.87 - - - - 6 - - - - - 38 Kerrea Gilbert ENG 28.02.87 - - 1 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 2 FRA 11.05.86 - - 2 - 10 1 2 - 6 - 7 Robert Pirès FRA 29.10.73 - - 9 2 29 6 71 13 95 16 8 Fredrik Ljungberg SWE 16.04.77 - - 6 1 23 - 57 13 79 15 13 Aleksandr Hleb BLS 01.05.81 - - 7 - 23 3 15 - 40 4 15 Cesc Fabregas ESP 04.05.87 - - 10 1 31 2 15 2 15 2 16 Mathieu Flamini FRA 07.03.84 - - 9 - 30 - 13 - 22 - 17 Alexandre Song CMR 09.09.87 - - 2 - 3 - 2 - 2 - 19 Gilberto BRA 07.10.76 - - 7 1 30 2 28 3 28 3 29 Sebastian Larsson SWE 06.06.85 - - 1 - 3 - 1 - 1 - 43 Ryan Smith ENG 10.11.86 ------44 Fabrice Muamba ENG 06.04.88 ------Forwards 9 José Antonio Reyes ESP 01.09.83 - - 10 - 23 3 22 2 22 2 10 Dennis Bergkamp NED 10.05.69 - - 3 1 22 2 39 7 93 30 11 Robin van Persie NED 06.08.83 - - 6 2 20 5 14 3 24 3 14 Thierry Henry FRA 17.08.77 - - 8 5 28 22 76 41 100 49 32 Theo Walcott ENG 16.03.89 ------33 DEN 16.01.88 ------41 Arturo Lupoli ITA 24.06.87 - - - - 1 - - - - - Coach Arsène Wenger FRA 22.10.49 - - 10 - - - 85 - 124 -

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Squad list

Villarreal CF Current Season All-time UCLQ UCL League UCL UEFA No Player Nat. DoB Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers 1 Javier López Vallejo ESP 22.09.75 ------9 - 13 Sebastián Viera URU 07.03.83 - - 8 - 28 - 8 - 8 - 25 Mariano Barbosa ARG 27.07.84 2 - 2 - 6 - 2 - 4 - 27 Juan Carlos ESP 27.07.87 - - - - 1 - - - - - 31 Iván Pascual ESP 04.10.85 ------32 Vicente Flor Bustos ESP 05.11.87 ------Defenders 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez ARG 10.04.84 2 - 9 - 29 - 9 - 26 2 3 Rodolfo Arruabarrena ARG 20.07.75 2 - 9 2 30 - 9 2 49 3 16 Quique Álvarez ESP 20.07.75 2 - 5 - 18 - 5 - 44 - 17 Javi Venta ESP 13.12.75 2 - 6 - 21 - 6 - 37 2 22 Juan Manuel Peña BOL 17.01.73 1 - 8 - 20 - 8 - 21 - 28 Edu ESP 02.10.81 ------29 Samuel Álvarez ESP 17.10.85 ------1 - 30 Carlos Alcántara ESP 01.02.85 - - - - 2 - - - 2 - Midfielders 4 César Arzo ESP 21.01.86 - - 3 - 9 - 3 - 15 - 6 Josico ESP 06.01.75 2 1 9 - 25 1 9 - 45 2 8 Juan Román Riquelme ARG 24.06.78 2 - 8 2 22 11 18 3 46 10 10 Roger García ESP 15.12.76 - - 5 - 22 2 9 - 45 8 11 Javier Calleja ESP 12.05.78 - - 3 - 8 1 3 - 20 3 12 Juan Sorín ARG 05.05.76 2 1 9 - 19 3 10 - 23 1 14 Héctor Font ESP 15.06.84 - - 4 - 19 1 4 - 26 3 18 Alessio Tacchinardi ITA 23.07.75 2 - 7 - 20 1 77 3 102 6 19 Marcos Senna ESP 17.07.76 2 - 9 1 27 3 9 1 22 1 21 ESP 13.12.84 - - 2 - 21 - 2 - 20 5 33 José Javier Rubio Gómez ESP 16.11.84 ------Forwards 5 Diego Forlán URU 19.05.79 2 1 9 2 27 8 29 5 34 6 7 Antonio Guayre ESP 23.04.80 1 - 4 1 13 2 4 1 36 8 23 José María ESP 10.12.78 - - 8 - 29 5 15 4 71 18 26 Xisco Nadal ESP 27.06.86 - - 1 - 2 - 1 - 6 - 99 MEX 03.11.76 - - 3 - 8 2 3 - 3 - Coach Manuel Pellegrini CHI 16.09.53 2 - 10 - - - 10 - 32 -

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Bookings list

Arsenal FC Matchday KO1 QF SF F No Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1 Jens Lehmann S S 9 José Antonio Reyes Y Y Y S 11 Robin van Persie R S Y 12 Lauren Y 13 Aleksandr Hleb Y 14 Thierry Henry Y 15 Cesc Fabregas Y 16 Mathieu Flamini Y Y * 18 Pascal Cygan Y 22 Gaël Clichy Y 24 Manuel Almunia Y 28 Kolo Abib Touré Y Y *

Villarreal CF Matchday KO1 QF SF F No Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez Y Y * 3 Rodolfo Arruabarrena Y Y Y S 5 Diego Forlán Y 6 Josico Y Y Y S 8 Juan Román Riquelme Y 12 Juan Pablo Sorin Y Y * 13 Sebastián Viera Y Y Y S 14 Héctor Font Y 17 Javi Venta Y 18 Alessio Tacchinardi Y Y Y S Y * 19 Marcos Senna Y Y * 23 José María Romero S S 99 Guillermo Franco Y

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Player statistics

Arsenal FC Matchday KO1 QF SF F No. Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd Goalkeepers 1 Jens Lehmann - - 90 - - - 90 90 90 90 - - - 21 Mart Poom ------24 Manuel Almunia 90 90 - 90 90 90 ------39 Mark Howard ------40 Michael Jordan ------42 Vito Mannone ------Defenders 3 Ashley Cole 90 90 ------12 Lauren 90 90 90 90 23(+)73(-) ------18 Pascal Cygan - 1(+) 90 - 67(-) ------20 Philippe Senderos - - - - 90 90 90 90 90 90 - - - 22 Gaël Clichy - 2(+) 90 90 ------23 Sol Campbell 90 90 - 90 90 ------27 Emmanuel Eboué - - 17(+) 7(+) 90 90 90 90 90 90 - - - 28 Kolo Touré 90 90 90 90 - 90 90 90 90 90 - - - 34 Matthew Connolly ------36 Johan Djourou ------38 Kerrea Gilbert - - - - - 17(+) ------Midfielders 2 Abou Diaby ------10(+) - - 3(+) - - - 7 Robert Pirès 90 88(-) 90 73(-)19(+) - 14(+)22(+) 90 27(+) - - - 8 Fredrik Ljungberg 81(-) 90 - - 90 - 90 90 - 90 - - - 13 Aleksandr Hleb 9(+) 89(-) - - - 62(-) 76(-) 87(-) 90 87(-) - - - 15 Cesc Fabregas 73(-) 90 89(-)17(+)33(+)28(+)89(-) 90 90 90 - - - 16 Mathieu Flamini - 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 - - - 17 Alexandre Song - - - - 57(-) - 1(+) ------19 Gilberto 90 - 90 90 - - 90 90 90 90 - - - 29 Sebastian Larsson - - - - - 90 ------43 Ryan Smith ------44 Fabrice Muamba ------Forwards 9 José Antonio Reyes 81(-) 81(-) 15(-) 83(-) 90 65(-) 80(-) 68(-) 82(-) 63(-) - - - 10 Dennis Bergkamp 17(+) - - 90 - - - 3(+) - - - - - 11 Robin van Persie 45 - 73(-)24(+) 90 25(+) - - 8(+) - - - - 14 Thierry Henry - - 75(+)66(-) 71(-) 90 90 90 90 90 - - - 32 Theo Walcott ------33 Nicklas Bendtner ------41 Arturo Lupoli ------

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Player statistics

Villarreal CF Matchday KO1 QF SF F No. Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd Goalkeepers 1 Javier López Vallejo ------13 Sebastián Viera 90 90 90 - - 90 90 90 90 90 - - - 25 Mariano Barbosa - - - 90 90 ------27 Juan Carlos ------31 Iván Pascual ------32 Vicente Flor Bustos ------Defenders 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez 90 33(+) 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 - - - - 3 Rodolfo Arruabarrena 90 90 46(-) 90 90 90 61(-) 90 - 90 - - - 16 Quique Álvarez 90 57(-) - 90 - - - - 30(+) 90 - - - 17 Javi Venta - - - 90 90 - 90 46(-) 90 90 - - - 22 Juan Manuel Peña - 90 - 1(+) 90 90 90 90 90 90 - - - 28 Edu ------29 Samuel Álvarez ------30 Carlos Alcántara ------Midfielders 4 César Arzo - - 90 - - - -(+) - 60(-) - - - - 6 Josico 46(-) 90 44(+) 90 12(+) 90 90 90 - 12(+) - - - 8 Juan Román Riquelme - 90 90 90 - 90 90 86(-) 90 90 - - - 10 Roger García 20(+) - 6(+) - 66(-) 7(+) 6(+) ------11 Javier Calleja ------4(+) 87(-) -(+) - - - 12 Juan Sorín 90 46(-) 90 90 90 36(-)29(+) - 90 78(-) - - - 14 Héctor Font 70(-) - - - 24(+)54(+) - 44(+) - - - - - 18 Alessio Tacchinardi 44(+) 90 84(-) - 78(-) - 90 90 - 90 - - - 19 Marcos Senna 90 44(+) - 89(-) 90 90 90 90 90 90 - - - 21 Santi Cazorla - - 90 - - - - - 3(+) - - - - 33 José Javier Rubio Gómez ------Forwards 5 Diego Forlán 90 84(-) 90 52(-) - 83(-) 90 90 90 90 - - - 7 Antonio Guayre 66(-) 6(+) - 19(+) - 31(+) ------23 José María - - 80(-) 71(-) 90 59(-) 84(-) 46(-) 76(-) 78(-) - - - 26 Xisco Nadal - - - - 3(+) ------99 Guillermo Franco ------44(+)14(+)12(+) - - -

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Match officials

Referee Konrad Plautz (AUT) Assistant referees Egon Bereuter (AUT), Markus Mayr (AUT) Fourth official Dietmar Drabek (AUT) UEFA Delegate Lars-Åke Lagrell (SWE) UEFA Referee observer Vitor Pereira (POR)

Referee

Name Nat. DoB UCL UEFA Konrad Plautz AUT 16.10.1964 19 43

Austrian referee Konrad Plautz, a regular on the UEFA Champions League scene as a member of UEFA©s élite group of match officials, is an enthusiastic director and actor with a local theatre group - the perfect antidote to his hectic schedule of domestic and European action.

A toolmaker from the small Alpine town of Navis, Plautz began taking charge of matches as a teenager in 1984. Starting with the youth sector, he began his rise through the ranks at regional level before heading into the Austrian national leagues - fulfilling an objective he had set himself at the outset of his career.

Plautz reached Austrian Bundesliga standard after six years, before getting his FIFA international badge in 1996. That same year he was chosen to referee the UEFA European Under-16 Championship final in Vienna, in which a Portugal side featuring Simão defeated a France team including Sébastien Frey, Anthony Réveillère and .

In 2004/05 he was in the middle for four UEFA Champions League matches, two UEFA Cup encounters and two FIFA World Cup qualifying ties. He began the current campaign by taking charge of Real Betis Balompie©s first game in the UEFA Champions League, a 2-1 home defeat by Liverpool FC. He was also appointed for the quarter-final first leg between Olympique Lyonnais and AC Milan.

In addition, Plautz is established as one of his country©s most respected officials, refereeing one of the top fixtures in the Austrian Bundesliga almost every weekend. Besides assuming control of the passion-filled capital derby between FK Austria Wien and SK Rapid Wien in October 2005 - which Rapid won 2-0 - he also counts the Grazer AK v SV Austria Salzburg match last November and Salzburg v Rapid Wien the following month among his finest displays.

UEFA Champions League matches involving teams from the two countries involved in this match Date Comp. Stage Match Res Venue 14.03.2001 UCL GS2 Leeds United AFC-S.S. Lazio 3-3 Leeds 19.09.2001 UCL GS1 Panathinaikos FC-RCD Mallorca 2-0 19.03.2002 UCL GS2 Boavista FC-Manchester United FC 0-3 Porto 22.10.2002 UCL GS1 FC Spartak Moskva-Liverpool FC 1-3 21.10.2003 UCL GS1 FC Dynamo Kyiv-Arsenal FC 2-1 Kiev 13.09.2005 UCL GS Real Betis Balompié-Liverpool FC 1-2 Sevilla 21.02.2006 UCL 1/8 SL Benfica-Liverpool FC 1-0

UEFA Champions League Other matches Date Comp. Stage Match Res Venue 29.07.1998 UCL QR1 FK Gança-LKS Lódz 1-3 Ganca 27.09.2000 UCL GS1 AC Sparta Praha-FC Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2 Prague 24.10.2000 UCL GS1 FC Dynamo Kyiv-PSV Eindhoven 0-1 Kiev 08.08.2001 UCL QR3 FC Steaua Bucuresti-FC Dynamo Kyiv 2-4 Bucharest 17.10.2001 UCL GS1 Olympique Lyonnais-Fenerbahçe SK 3-1 Lyon

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Date Comp. Stage Match Res Venue 14.08.2002 UCL QR3 AC Milan-FC Slovan Liberec 1-0 Milan 17.09.2002 UCL GS1 KRC Genk-AEK Athens FC 0-0 Genk 26.08.2003 UCL QR3 Wisla Kraków-RSC Anderlecht 0-1 Krakow 05.11.2003 UCL GS1 PSV Eindhoven-AEK Athens FC 2-0 Eindhoven 10.12.2003 UCL GS1 Juventus-Olympiacos CFP 7-0 Turin 11.08.2004 UCL QR3 Rosenborg BK-Maccabi Haifa FC 2-1 Trondheim 29.09.2004 UCL GS PSV Eindhoven-Panathinaikos FC 1-0 Eindhoven 23.11.2004 UCL GS Juventus-AFC Ajax 1-0 Turin 08.12.2004 UCL GS Olympique Lyonnais-AC Sparta Praha 5-0 Lyon 24.08.2005 UCL QR3 Club Brugge KV-Vålerenga IF 1-0*(4-3) Bruges 19.10.2005 UCL GS AC Milan-PSV Eindhoven 0-0 Milan 06.12.2005 UCL GS Rangers FC-FC Internazionale Milano 1-1 Glasgow 29.03.2006 UCL QF Olympique Lyonnais-AC Milan 0-0 Lyon

Other matches Date Comp. Stage Match Res Venue 29.04.1996 U16 GS - FT Romania-Ukraine 0-1 11.05.1996 U16 F Portugal-France 1-0 Vienna 19.05.1996 WCHAMP QR Ukraine-Bulgaria 2-1 23.06.1996 UIC GS FC Spartak -FK Cukaricki 3-0 Trnava 06.08.1996 UCUP QR MFK Košice-Celtic FC 0-0 Kosice 22.10.1996 U18 PR Romania-Israel 1-2 26.10.1996 U18 PR Ukraine-Romania 1-2 21.06.1997 UIC GS Panahaiki FC-Stabñk IF 1-1 28.08.1997 UCWC QR APOEL FC-HB Tórshavn 6-0 Nicosia 18.09.1997 UCWC R1 FC Kùbenhavn-FC Ararat Yerevan 3-0 Copenhagen 02.10.1997 U18 PR Spain-Belgium 2-0 05.11.1997 U18 PR Greece-Romania 1-0 25.08.1998 UCUP QR2 Malmö FF-HNK Hajduk Split 1-2 Malmo 01.10.1998 UCWC R1 FC Haka-Panionios NFC 1-3 Valkeakoski 13.10.1998 U21 QR Greece-Georgia 3-2 Athens 22.10.1998 UCWC R2 KRC Genk-RCD Mallorca 1-1 Brussels 27.03.1999 EURO PR Turkey-Moldova 2-0 26.08.1999 UCUP QR Újpesti TE-FK Vojvodina 1-1 30.09.1999 UCUP R1 FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih-Parma FC 0-3 Krivoy Rog 21.10.1999 UCUP R2 Club Atlético de Madrid-Amica Sport 1-0 Madrid 13.11.1999 U21 P-O Russia-Slovakia 0-1 Moscow 26.07.2000 UIC SF RC Celta de Vigo-Aston Villa FC 1-0 Vigo 23.11.2000 UCUP R3 Club Brugge KV-FC Barcelona 0-2 Bruges 15.02.2001 UCUP R4 FC Porto-FC Nantes Atlantique 3-1 Porto 25.04.2001 WC QR Serbia and Montenegro-Russia 0-1 05.09.2001 WC QR Belarus-Poland 4-1 22.11.2001 UCUP R3 Parma FC-Brùndby IF 1-1 Parma 19.02.2002 UCUP R4 Valencia CF-Servette FC 3-0 Valencia 07.09.2002 EURO QR Finland-Wales 0-2 Helsinki 28.11.2002 UCUP R3 FC Girondins de Bordeaux-RSC Anderlecht 0-2 Bordeaux 20.02.2003 UCUP R4 S.S. Lazio-Wisla Kraków 3-3 Rome 02.04.2003 EURO QR Estonia-Bulgaria 0-0 20.08.2003 FRIE. R1 Turkey-Moldova 2-0 Ankara 11.10.2003 EURO QR Russia-Georgia 3-1 Moscow 26.02.2004 UCUP R3 Celtic FC-FK Teplice 3-0 Glasgow 25.03.2004 UCUP R4 RCD Mallorca-Newcastle United FC 0-3 Palma de Mallorca 04.09.2004 WC QR Romania-F.Y.R. Macedonia 2-1 Craiova 16.03.2005 UCUP 1/8 Newcastle United FC-Olympiacos CFP 4-0 Newcastle

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Date Comp. Stage Match Res Venue 26.03.2005 WC QR Turkey-Albania 2-0 Istanbul 07.04.2005 UCUP QF Villarreal CF-AZ Alkmaar 1-2 Villarreal 08.06.2005 FRIE. R1 Germany-Russia 2-2 Monchengladbach 07.09.2005 WC QR Latvia-Slovakia 1-1 Riga 12.10.2005 WC QR Belarus-Norway 0-1 Minsk

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Domestic news

Arsenal FC geared up for Wednesday©s first-leg encounter at Highbury with an important victory against West Bromwich Albion FC in the Premiership at the weekend. But there was less to smile about for semi-final opponents Villarreal CF, whose weakened side lost to FC Barcelona in a bruising encounter that saw Juan Manuel Peña and Gonzalo Rodríguez sustain injuries.

Arsenal FC 3-1 West Bromwich Albion FC

Aleksandr Hleb, Robert Pirès and Dennis Bergkamp were all on target as Arsenal overcame relegation-threatened West Brom on Saturday to remain within four points of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur FC in the race for fourth place. It was by no means an easy victory for the Gunners as Nigel Quashie©s second-half equaliser forced the home side to work hard for the three points. Pirès©s goal arrived 14 minutes from time and, after Arsenal survived a strong penalty claim from the visitors, substitute Bergkamp put the match beyond doubt a minute before the final whistle with his first goal since December.

Manager Arsène Wenger was without Sol Campbell, who underwent surgery on Friday after breaking his nose in the 1-1 draw with Portsmouth FC on Wednesday, and could be out for a week. Campbell was replaced by Philippe Senderos while Cesc Fabregas also missed the match after a recurrence of the foot injury he sustained against Aston Villa FC a fortnight ago, although he could return against Villarreal. Wenger also elected to substitute captain Thierry Henry after 62 minutes with the visit of Villarreal in mind.

Wenger admitted that that match made it difficult to prepare for the West Brom game but was delighted his players did not fall foul of complacency. "I feel we already had one eye on the game on Wednesday, which is why I©m very pleased we got the three points and did the job in a professional way," he said. "We know you do not play a semi-final of the Champions League every day. Therefore, we want to go out midweek and do it the way we want to do it, in a convincing way and a determined way."

FC Barcelona 1-0 Villarreal CF

Villarreal©s decision to rest several key players did not gain immediate reward as they were beaten 1-0 by fellow UEFA Champions League semi-finalists Barcelona at Camp Nou on Friday, denting their hopes of securing a UEFA Cup place next season. Samuel Eto©o scored the only goal of the game on eleven minutes, turning Peña inside out before steering the ball inside Mariano Barbosa©s near post.

It was a disappointing goal for Barbosa to concede as he continues to gain crucial match practice as he prepares to replace the suspended Sebastián Viera at Highbury. Coach Manuel Pellegrini also opted to leave Alessio Tacchinardi, Juan Pablo Sorín, Juan Román Riquelme and Diego Forlán out of the squad for the trip to Barça. But despite his best efforts, the Chilean could only watch as Gonzalo Rodríguez limped off after injuring his ankle in a collision with Deco on 18 minutes.The Argentinian defender will not play again this season, while Peña, who stretched his ankle ligaments late on, misses the trip to London.

Having been denied the chance to play against his former employers, Riquelme is determined to help tee up a rematch in the UEFA Champions League final. "I want to play in the final," he said. "I know the tie against Arsenal will be difficult, just like the last one was against [FC] Inter[nazionale Milano]. Arsenal have some great players and Henry could be the difference. They are favourites, but on the field it is eleven against eleven. If we play like we are capable of then the tie will be very even. We are one step away from the final and we are so close to getting there. We are going to fight for our place."

Last Updated 18.4.2006 11:04:32CET uefa.com 28 Arsenal FC v Villarreal CF MATCH PRESS KIT

Domestic league details

Arsenal FC (Premiership)

Date Opponent Res Lineups 09.04.2006 v Manchester United FC (A) 0-2 Lehmann, Eboué, Senderos, Touré, Flamini, Hleb (Ljungberg 74), Fabregas (Diaby 69), Gilberto, Pirès, Van Persie (Henry 69), Adebayor 12.04.2006 v Portsmouth FC (A) 1-1 Lehmann, Djourou, Campbell (Eboué 89), Touré, Flamini, Ljungberg, Song, Diaby, Reyes (Hleb 80), Henry, Adebayor (Van Persie 75) 15.04.2006 v West Bromwich Albion FC (H) 3-1 Lehmann, Eboué, Touré, Senderos, Flamini, Hleb (Pirès 71), Gilberto, Diaby, Reyes, Henry (Adebayor 62), Van Persie (Bergkamp 72)

Date Opponent Res Goalscorers 14.08.2005 v Newcastle United FC (H) 2-0 Henry (pen), Van Persie 21.08.2005 v Chelsea FC (A) 0-1 24.08.2005 v Fulham FC (H) 4-1 Henry (2), Cygan (2) 10.09.2005 v Middlesbrough FC (A) 1-2 Reyes 19.09.2005 v Everton FC (H) 2-0 Campbell (2) 24.09.2005 v West Ham United FC (A) 0-0 02.10.2005 v Birmingham City FC (H) 1-0 Own goal 15.10.2005 v West Bromwich Albion FC (A) 1-2 Senderos 22.10.2005 v Manchester City FC (H) 1-0 Pirès (pen) 29.10.2005 v Tottenham Hotspur FC (A) 1-1 Pirès 05.11.2005 v Sunderland AFC (H) 3-1 Henry (2), Van Persie 19.11.2005 v Wigan Athletic FC (A) 3-2 Henry (2), Van Persie 26.11.2005 v Blackburn Rovers FC (H) 3-0 Fabregas, Van Persie, Henry 03.12.2005 v Bolton Wanderers FC (A) 0-2 10.12.2005 v Newcastle United FC (A) 0-1 18.12.2005 v Chelsea FC (H) 0-2 26.12.2005 v Charlton Athletic FC (A) 1-0 Reyes 28.12.2005 v Portsmouth FC (H) 4-0 Bergkamp, Henry (pen), Reyes, Henry 31.12.2005 v Aston Villa FC (A) 0-0 03.01.2006 v Manchester United FC (H) 0-0 14.01.2006 v Middlesbrough FC (H) 7-0 Henry (3), Hleb, Senderos, Pirès, Gilberto 21.01.2006 v Everton FC (A) 0-1 01.02.2006 v West Ham United FC (H) 2-3 Pirès, Henry 04.02.2006 v Birmingham City FC (A) 2-0 Adebayor, Henry 11.02.2006 v Bolton Wanderers FC (H) 1-1 Gilberto 14.02.2006 v Liverpool FC (A) 0-1 25.02.2006 v Blackburn Rovers FC (A) 0-1 04.03.2006 v Fulham FC (A) 4-0 Adebayor, Henry (2), Fabregas 12.03.2006 v Liverpool FC (H) 2-1 Henry (2) 18.03.2006 v Charlton Athletic FC (H) 3-0 Hleb, Adebayor, Pirès 01.04.2006 v Aston Villa FC (H) 5-0 Henry (2), Diaby, Adebayor, Van Persie 09.04.2006 v Manchester United FC (A) 0-2 12.04.2006 v Portsmouth FC (A) 1-1 Henry 15.04.2006 v West Bromwich Albion FC (H) 3-1 Bergkamp, Hleb, Pirès 22.04.2006 v Tottenham Hotspur FC (H) 01.05.2006 v Sunderland AFC (A) 04.05.2006 v Manchester City FC (A) 07.05.2006 v Wigan Athletic FC (H)

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Rank Clubs Pld W D L GF GA Pts 1 Chelsea FC 35 28 4 3 69 20 88 2 Manchester United FC 35 24 7 4 68 31 79 3 Liverpool FC 35 22 7 6 49 22 73 4 Tottenham Hotspur FC 35 17 10 8 50 35 61 5 Arsenal FC 34 17 6 11 57 27 57 6 Blackburn Rovers FC 34 16 6 12 45 40 54 7 Newcastle United FC 35 15 6 14 43 42 51 8 Bolton Wanderers FC 34 13 10 11 43 38 49 9 West Ham United FC 35 14 7 14 48 52 49 10 Wigan Athletic FC 34 14 6 14 39 43 48 11 Charlton Athletic FC 35 13 8 14 40 45 47 12 Everton FC 35 13 6 16 31 47 45 13 Middlesbrough FC 34 12 7 15 47 55 43 14 Manchester City FC 34 12 4 18 40 41 40 15 Aston Villa FC 34 9 12 13 37 47 39 16 Fulham FC 34 11 6 17 43 55 39 17 Portsmouth FC 35 8 8 19 32 57 32 18 Birmingham City FC 34 7 8 19 26 48 29 19 West Bromwich Albion FC 35 7 8 20 29 52 29 20 Sunderland AFC 34 2 6 26 22 61 12

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Domestic league details

Villarreal CF (Primera División)

Date Opponent Res Lineups 01.04.2006 v Real Zaragoza (A) 1-0 Viera, , Gonzalo, Quique Álvarez, Arruabarrena, Josico, Roger (Sorín 69), Tacchinardi, Santi Cazorla, Guayre (José María 18), Forlán (Héctor Font 82) 09.04.2006 v RC Deportivo La Coruña (H) 1-1 Barbosa, Gonzalo, Arruabarrena (Roger 74), Sorín, Javi Venta, Peña, Riquelme, Tacchinardi, Senna (José María 74), Forlán (Héctor Font 84), Franco 14.04.2006 v FC Barcelona (A) 0-1 Barbosa, Gonzalo (Quique Álvarez 19), Arruabarrena, Peña, Josemi, Josico, Arzo, Roger (Guayre 59), Santi Cazorla (Héctor Font 68), Franco, José María

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Date Opponent Res Goalscorers 28.08.2005 v CA Osasuna (A) 1-2 Forlán 11.09.2005 v Sevilla FC (H) 1-1 Lucho Figueroa 18.09.2005 v Cádiz CF (A) 1-1 José María 21.09.2005 v RC Celta de Vigo (H) 1-2 Riquelme 24.09.2005 v RCD Espanyol (A) 2-1 Senna, Josico 02.10.2005 v Athletic Club Bilbao (H) 3-1 Riquelme, José María, Senna 15.10.2005 v Deportivo Alavés (A) 1-1 Roger 23.10.2005 v RCD Mallorca (H) 3-0 Riquelme, Forlán, José María 26.10.2005 v Real Betis Balompié (A) 3-2 José María, Riquelme (pen), Sorín 30.10.2005 v Club Atlético de Madrid (A) 1-1 Forlán 05.11.2005 v Valencia CF (H) 1-0 Lucho Figueroa 19.11.2005 v Real Zaragoza (H) 0-0 27.11.2005 v RC Deportivo La Coruña (A) 2-0 Riquelme, Sorín 04.12.2005 v FC Barcelona (H) 0-2 10.12.2005 v de Fútbol (A) 3-1 Guayre (2), Riquelme 18.12.2005 v Getafe CF (H) 2-1 Riquelme, Forlán 21.12.2005 v Málaga CF (A) 0-0 08.01.2006 v Real Madrid CF (H) 0-0 15.01.2006 v Real Racing Club Santander (A) 0-1 22.01.2006 v CA Osasuna (H) 2-1 Riquelme (2,pen) 29.01.2006 v Sevilla FC (A) 0-2 05.02.2006 v Cádiz CF (H) 1-1 Calleja 12.02.2006 v RC Celta de Vigo (A) 0-1 18.02.2006 v RCD Espanyol (H) 4-0 Héctor Font, Senna, Tacchinardi, Forlán 26.02.2006 v Athletic Club Bilbao (A) 1-1 Forlán 04.03.2006 v Deportivo Alavés (H) 3-2 Franco, Riquelme (2) 12.03.2006 v RCD Mallorca (A) 1-1 José María 18.03.2006 v Club Atlético de Madrid (H) 1-1 Forlán 22.03.2006 v Valencia CF (A) 1-1 Forlán 25.03.2006 v Real Betis Balompié (H) 1-2 Sorín 01.04.2006 v Real Zaragoza (A) 1-0 Roger 09.04.2006 v RC Deportivo La Coruña (H) 1-1 Franco 14.04.2006 v FC Barcelona (A) 0-1 22.04.2006 v Real Sociedad de Fútbol (H) 30.04.2006 v Getafe CF (A) 03.05.2006 v Málaga CF (H) 07.05.2006 v Real Madrid CF (A) 14.05.2006 v Real Racing Club Santander (H)

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Rank Clubs Pld W D L GF GA Pts 1 FC Barcelona 33 22 7 4 73 29 73 2 Valencia CF 33 17 11 5 49 28 62 3 Real Madrid CF 33 17 9 7 58 30 60 4 CA Osasuna 33 18 5 10 44 39 59 5 RC Celta de Vigo 33 17 3 13 36 30 54 6 Sevilla FC 33 15 8 10 40 33 53 7 RC Deportivo La Coruña 33 14 9 10 43 38 51 8 Villarreal CF 33 12 13 8 42 32 49 9 Club Atlético de Madrid 33 12 11 10 42 33 47 10 Getafe CF 33 13 8 12 47 42 47 11 Real Zaragoza 33 9 15 9 41 42 42 12 Real Betis Balompié 33 9 10 14 30 44 37 13 Athletic Club Bilbao 33 8 11 14 33 40 35 14 Real Sociedad de Fútbol 33 10 5 18 41 58 35 15 Real Racing Club Santander 33 7 13 13 28 38 34 16 RCD Espanyol 33 8 10 15 31 51 34 17 RCD Mallorca 33 7 13 13 30 46 34 18 Deportivo Alavés 33 7 12 14 32 47 33 19 Cádiz CF 33 7 10 16 27 45 31 20 Málaga CF 33 5 9 19 32 54 24

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General competition information

UEFA©s most prestigious club competition was originally created as the European Champion Clubs© Cup for the 1955/56 season, before its revamping as the UEFA Champions League in 1992.

· Financial information: UEFA has estimated that the gross budgeted income for the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League will be €598m - higher than the revenue obtained last season. Based on those amounts, €453m would go to the 32 clubs, including €22.5m for the professional leagues of the participating associations, and €145m to UEFA for European football. Clubs in the group stage will receive a starting fee of €1.6m and a bonus of €321,000 per match. Performance bonuses will involve €321,000 for a win and €161,000 for a draw in the group stage. The 16 teams playing in the first knockout round will receive €1.6m each, the eight quarter-finalists €1.9m each and the four semi-finalists €2.6m. The Champions League winners will receive €6.4m, and the runners-up €3.9m. This means that a total minimum amount of €3.5m per club is guaranteed for the group stage. A club could receive, at best, up to €18m, not counting the TV market pool share and gate receipts.

· Deadlines: UEFA Champions League press kits are provided to media by uefa.com. For every UEFA Champions League match, two press kits are issued in English: Sunday at 22:00CET with a match preview update on Monday at 22:00CET for Tuesday©s matches. For Wednesday©s matches, the press kit is issued on Monday at 22:00CET with the match preview update version published on Tuesday at 22:00CET. Multilingual versions of press kits, determined on a match-by-match basis, are also issued with similar deadlines.

· Disclaimer: Although UEFA has taken all reasonable care that the information contained within this press kit is accurate at the time of publication, no representation or guarantee (including liability towards third parties), expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. Therefore, UEFA assumes no liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein.

UEFA information

Accreditations can be requested via uefa.com for the UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France in Paris on 17 May. To cover the event, representatives of the written press, photographers, radio stations and websites, along with non-rights holding television stations, must apply directly to UEFA via the online accreditation system on uefa.com. In order to serve the media in the best possible way, UEFA has set a deadline of 28 April - two days after the second semi-final has been decided.

On a similar theme, media representatives have until 12 May to apply for accreditation for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, which will take place in Portugal from 23 May to 4 June. The host nation will compete in Group A alongside France - who could boast Arsenal FC duo Mathieu Flamini and Abou Diaby - Germany, and Serbia and Montenegro, while the holders Italy tackle Denmark, Netherlands and Ukraine in the other pool. Any interested media representatives should apply directly to UEFA, and can do so via the online accreditation service available on uefa.com.

Application for media accreditation to cover the UEFA European Under-17 Championship finals in Luxembourg from 3-14 May is also open until 26 April. Apply via email to [email protected] with subject header U-17. Among the eight finalists are traditional junior powerhouses Spain, who have four players apiece from FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF in their initial squad of 30 players.

Finally, having lifted five European Champion Clubs© Cups between them at AC Milan, and seven in total, , Arrigo Sacchi and Dejan Savićević received UEFA awards recognising their contribution to the competition before the Rossoneri©s quarter-final second-leg match against Olympique Lyonnais at . UEFA is celebrating 50 years of European Cup football throughout this season, awarding specially-designed plaques to players and coaches who have graced the tournament as ©Champions of Europe©.

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Legend

:: All-time statistics The all-time record of the competing clubs in UEFA club competition.

UEFA club competitions: These are the official statistics considered valid for communicating official records in UEFA club competitions defined as the European Champion Clubs© Cup, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Cup Winners© Cup, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup (from the 1973 competition), the UEFA Intertoto Cup and the European/South American Cup. The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup is not regarded as a UEFA competition but statistics are separately included for information purposes.

Goals for/against: Goals totals include the outcome of disciplinary decisions (eg. match forfeits when a 3-0 result is determined). Goals totals do not include goals scored from the penalty mark during a penalty shoot-out after a tie ended in a draw.

:: Squad list The eligible list of players ordered first by playing position and then numeric order.

Current season - UCLQ: Total UEFA Champions League appearances in qualifying rounds only. Current season - UCL: Total UEFA Champions League appearances from the group stage onwards prior to the current matchday. All-time - UCL: Total appearances in the UEFA Champions League from the 1992/93 season, group stage to final only. These are the official statistics considered valid for communicating official records in the competition. All-time - UEFA: Total appearances in UEFA club competitions (as defined above) including all qualifying round matches. These are the official statistics considered valid for communicating official records in the competition.

:: Bookings list The current disciplinary situation in the competition. *: Misses next match if booked #: Suspended for at least one match +: Provisionally suspended R: Sent off (red card) S: Suspended Y: Booked (yellow card) Y/R: Sent off (yellow card then direct red) R*: Sent off (red card) in the UEFA Cup S*: Suspended following cautions received in the UEFA Cup Y*: Booked (yellow card) in the UEFA Cup Y/R*: Sent off (yellow card then direct red) in the UEFA Cup

Note: The bookings list is destined for the press. It is given to the competing clubs for information purposes only and therefore has no legal value. In the event of any discrepancy, only the correspondence addressed directly to the clubs will be considered as the authoritative version.

:: Match officials The match officials appointed to officiate the fixture.

UCL: Total matches officiated in the UEFA Champions League from 1992/93 season, group stage to final only. Matches where the official has acted as the fourth official are not included in these statistics. These are the official statistics considered valid for communicating official records in the competition.

Last Updated 18.4.2006 11:04:32CET uefa.com 35 Arsenal FC v Villarreal CF MATCH PRESS KIT

UEFA: Total matches officiated in UEFA club competitions including all qualifying round matches. Matches where the official has acted as the fourth official are not included in these statistics.These are the official statistics considered valid for communicating official records in the competition.

:: Competitions ECCC: European Champion Clubs© Cup/UEFA Champions League UCUP: UEFA Cup UCWC: UEFA Cup Winners© Cup SCUP: UEFA Super Cup UIC: UEFA Intertoto Cup EURO: UEFA European Football Championship U21: UEFA European Under-21 Championship WC: FIFA World Cup CONFCUP: FIFA Confederations Cup FRIE: A International friendly matches U21 FRIE: Under-21 international friendly matches

:: Competition stages F: Final GS: Group stage GS1: First group stage GS2: Second group stage KO1: First knockout round PR: Preliminary round QF: Quarter-finals QR: Qualifying round QR1: First qualifying round QR2: Second qualifying round QR3: Third qualifying round R1: First round R2: Second round R3: Third round R4: Fourth round SF: Semi-finals 1/8: Eighth-finals 1/16: Sixteenth-finals 1st: First leg 2nd: Second leg

Last Updated 18.4.2006 11:04:32CET uefa.com 36 Arsenal FC v Villarreal CF MATCH PRESS KIT

:: Other abbreviations AP: Appearances Comp: Competition D: Drawn DoB: Date of birth GA: Goals against GF: Goals for L: Lost Nat: Nationality No: Number Pld: Matches played Pos: Position Pts: Points R: Sent off (red card) Res: Result W: Won Y: Booked (yellow card) Y/R: Sent off (yellow card then direct red)

:: Statistics (-): Denotes player substituted (+): Denotes player introduced (*): Denotes player dismissed/sent off (+/-): Denotes player introduced and substituted

Last Updated 18.4.2006 11:04:32CET uefa.com 37