Villarreal qualified for the Group Stage of the biggest club competition in Europe after beating Everton in the final qualifying round
A dream come true. Villarreal, on 24th August 2005, qualified for the Group Stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time ever after beating Everton FC in the final qualifying round. It was a hard tie, with the Yellows beating the English team 1-2 in the first leg and 2-1 in the second leg.
After a brilliant 2004/05, the Yellows ended the season third in LaLiga and earned a spot in the qualifying rounds of the biggest club competition in Europe, a position that very few find themselves in. The Yellows were drawn against Everton, who had finished fourth in England. The knockout tie was as tough as it got for both sides.
On 9th August 2005, the Yellows visited Goodison Park for the first leg, going ahead in the first half through Figueroa. However, before the break, Beattie scored for the Toffees to draw the tie level. In added time, Josico once more put the Yellows ahead. The scoreboard didn’t move in the second half and Villarreal left Liverpool with an important 1-2 win. Manuel Pellegrini lined up with the following players in England: Barbosa; Javi Venta, Quique Álvarez, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Arruabarrena; Sorín, Senna, Riquelme, Josico, Figueroa, Forlán.
The climax of the tie came two weeks later. On 24th August, the second leg was at El Madrigal, which had an exceptional atmosphere and was full to the brim. Pellegrini lined up with the same starting XI that impressed in the first leg.
With 20 minutes gone, Sorín put Villarreal ahead on the night, but there was still a lot to play for. In the 70th minute Mikel Arteta beat Barbosa with a free-kick to draw it level on the night. As things stood, the Yellows were going through due to the first-leg win, but the English side only needed a goal to make it all square in the tie and force extra-time. In added time, Forlán killed the game off, after a great assist from Sorín down the left. Villarreal were in the UEFA Champions League for the first time ever!
That season, Villarreal became the best debutant ever in the history of the leading European club competition, reaching the semi-finals of the tournament. In the Group Stage, Villarreal topped Group D, with ten points, ahead of Benfica, Manchester United and Lille. In the Round of 16, they faced Glasgow Rangers, who they knocked out on away goals after a 2-2 draw at Ibrox and a 1-1 draw at El Madrigal.
In the quarter-finals, the Yellow Submarine beat Inter Milan. The Yellows lost the first leg 2-1, but a goal from Arruabarrena at El Madrigal was enough to take them to the semi-finals and be among the four best teams in European football. In the last four, Villarreal faced Arsenal FC, who ended the Yellows’ dreams of reaching the final in Paris, losing by a solitary goal at Highbury (1-0), and playing out a goalless draw at El Madrigal.
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