History [ edit ]

2005–06 UEFA Champions League [ edit ]

The 2005–06 season brought the club considerable European success and recognition, ♠ due to their consistent performances in the Champions League. In the qualifying round stage, Villarreal controversially defeated English side Everton ♠ with a 4–2 aggregate score with two 2–1 victories. In the group stage, Villarreal were to be in the same ♠ group as Portuguese champions Benfica, French club Lille, and England's Manchester United. Remaining undefeated throughout the group stage, Villarreal were ♠ twice victorious (1–0 each against Benfica away and Lille at home) and earned four draws, including two scoreless draws with ♠ Manchester United. They topped their group and progressed to the knock-out stages along with Benfica. The club progressed to the ♠ quarter-finals in their Champions League debut by defeating the Scottish club Rangers 3–3 on the away goals rule (a 2–2 ♠ draw in Glasgow and a 1–1 draw at home gave the Spanish side one more away goal than their opponents).

El ♠ Submarino Amarillo drew Italian giants Inter Milan in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The first leg was played at ♠ the San Siro on 29 March 2006, where Villarreal's Diego Forlán scored inside the first minute of the match, but ♠ Villarreal lost 2–1 as Inter took a lead to the return leg at El Madrigal on 4 April. Villarreal, however, ♠ continued their unbeaten home record in the Champions League after winning the second leg 1–0 to qualify for the semi-finals ♠ on the away goals rule (the tie ended 2–2 on aggregate, but because of Forlán's goal in Milan, Villarreal advanced). ♠ During that game, left-back Rodolfo Arruabarrena turned a back header from Juan Román Riquelme free kick past Inter goalkeeper Francesco ♠ Toldo to score the decisive goal of the tie. In the semi-finals, Villarreal narrowly lost out to Arsenal on a ♠ 1–0 aggregate scoreline following Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann's save of Riquelme's last-minute penalty.

2008–09 Champions League [ edit ]