There are a select few with perfect records against the Spanish superpowers. Dundee United have played four games against Barcelona, won all four and wisely not faced them since 1987 to see if they could extend that sequence. Arsenal have met Real Madrid but never conceded to them: two games, two clean sheets, blunting a side with a combination of Galacticos and Gravesen.
That record should be tested this week and next. In 2006, Arsenal shut out Ronaldo, Robinho, Raul and Roberto Carlos, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham – plus, a little incongruously, Thomas Gravesen – twice en route to their first Champions League final.
