Real Madrid are 15-time European champions and have also won the UEFA Cup on two occasions.
By far the most successful side in European competition, Los Blancos also have a strong record against English clubs.
But back-to-back defeats to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals this month brought about an abrupt and disappointing end to this term’s continental campaign for the defending champions.
After Arsenal’s impressive 5-1 aggregate win, a look at all the English teams to have beaten Real Madrid in Europe…
Manchester United 1-0 Real Madrid (European Cup, April 1968)
Manchester United became the first English club to win the European Cup as Matt Busby’s side took the trophy in the 1967/68 season.
United were also the first English side to beat Real Madrid in Europe, edging out Los Blancos in a 1-0 win at Old Trafford thanks to a George Best goal in April 1968 and advancing with a 4-3 aggregare victory after a 3-3 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Chelsea 2-1 Real Madrid (European Cup Winners’ Cup, May 1971)
Chelsea and Real Madrid met in the 1971 European Cup Winners’ Cup final in Piraeus and with no penalty shootouts back then, a replay was needed after the match finished 1-1.
So the two teams faced off again two days later at the same venue and this time, the Blues came out on top in a 2-1 win as John Dempsey and Peter Osgood scored the goals. Sebastián Fleitas netted for Madrid late on.
Ipswich Town 1-0 Real Madrid (UEFA Cup, September 1973)
Ipswich Town reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in the 1973/74 season and the Tractor Boys kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 aggregate win over Real Madrid.
Bobby Robson’s side came out on top thanks to a Benito Rubiñán own goal at Portman Road and advanced to the second round after a 0-0 draw in the return at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Derby County 4-1 Real Madrid (European Cup, October 1975)
Charlie George scored a hat-trick, including two penalties, and David Nish got the other as Derby County thrashed Real Madrid 4-1 in the second round of the European Cup at the Baseball Ground in October 1975.
But back at the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid produced one of their famous European comebacks to win the second leg 5-1 after extra time and advance to the third round with a 6-5 aggregate victory.
Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid (European Cup, May 1981)
Alan Kennedy’s late goal gave Liverpool a 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the 1981 European Cup final at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
It was Liverpool’s third European Cup triumph and the Reds would win it again three years later. Real Madrid were six-time winners at that point, but had to wait until 1998 to lift the trophy once more.
Real Madrid 0-1 Chelsea (UEFA Super Cup, August 1998)
In the first UEFA Super Cup to be played in a one-off match at a neutral venue, Chelsea beat Real Madrid 1-0 in Monaco.
Gustavo Poyet scored the game’s only goal with a with a right-footed finish from the edge of the area from a Gianfranco Zola pass in the 83rd minute.
Manchester United 4-3 Real Madrid (Champions League, April 2003)
David Beckham came off the bench to score twice as Manchester United beat Real Madrid 4-3 in an epic contest at Old Trafford in the Champions League quarter-finals in April 2003.
But it was not enough to see the Red Devils through as Ronaldo’s brilliant hat-trick earned a 6-5 aggregate win for Los Blancos after the defending champions had won 3-1 in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Real Madrid 0-1 Arsenal (Champions League, February 2006)
Arsenal’s run to the Champions League final in 2005/06 included an impressive win over Real Madrid in the last 16.
Thierry Henry’s super strike at the Santiago Bernabéu sealed a 1-0 win for the Gunners in the first leg and Arsène Wenger’s side advanced to the quarter-finals after a 0-0 draw at Highbury in the second leg.
Real Madrid 0-1 Liverpool (Champions League, February 2009)
Ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League last-16 tie against Liverpool in 2009, Los Blancos recently elected president Vicente Boluda predicted a “chorreo” (a disparaging way of saying he thought the Spanish side would win big) in both matches.
The tie did end up being a one-sided affair, but in favour of Liverpool, with Yossi Benayoun’s late goal sealing a 1-0 win for the Reds in the first match at the Santiago Bernabéu in February 2009.
Liverpool 4-0 Real Madrid (Champions League, March 2009)
In the teams’ second-leg meeting at Anfield in March 2009, Liverpool ran out 4-0 winners to seal a 5-0 aggregate victory in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Fernando Torres opened the scoring on a memorable night for Liverpool, with Steven Gerrard on target twice and Andrea Dossena netting a late fourth for Rafa Benítez’s side.
Tottenham 3-1 Real Madrid (Champions League, November 2017)
Tottenham won five of their six group games in the Champions League in 2017/18 to top a sector also featuring Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
After earning a creditable 1-1 draw against Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in November, Mauricio Pochettino’s side beat the defending champions 3-1 at Wembley, with Dele Alli on target twice and Christian Eriksen getting the other. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late consolation for Madrid and Los Blancos went on to win the title for a third season in a row.
Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City (Champions League, February 2020)
Zinédine ZIdane led Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League crowns between 2016 and 2018, but the Frenchman’s 100 per cent record as coach came to an end in his second spell in charge.
Madrid lost 2-1 at home to Manchester City in the first leg of the teams’ last-16 tie in February 2020. Isco gave Los Blancos the lead, but goals from Gabriel Jesús and Kevin De Bruyne gave the Sky Blues a win at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Manchester City 2-1 Real Madrid (Champions League, April 2020)
Manchester City and Real Madrid had to wait over five months to play their second-leg match in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2019/20 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The game was finally played in August behind closed doors and City replicated their first-leg win as Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesús scored in a 2-1 win, either side of a Karim Benzema effort for Los Blancos.
Chelsea 2-0 Real Madrid (Champions League, April 2021)
Chelsea’s run to the Champions League title in 2020/21 included a 3-1 aggregate win over Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
After a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu in late April, goals from Timo Werner and Mason Mount gave Thomas Tuchel’s side a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge in early May. The Blues went on to beat Manchester City in the final.
Manchester City 4-0 Real Madrid (Champions League, May 2023)
En route to winning the treble in 2022/23, Manchester City produced an impressive performance to thrash Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg at the Etihad in May 2023.
Bernardo Silva scored twice, with İlkay Gündoğan and Manuel Akanji also on target in an emphatic 4-0 win for Pep Guardiola’s side to wrap up a 5-1 aggregate victory for the Sky Blues.
Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid (Champions League, November 2024)
Liverpool won their first seven matches in the league phase of the revamped Champions League in 2024/25.
That run included a 2-0 win over Real Madrid at Anfield, with Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo getting the goals in the second half for Arne Slot’s side.
Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid (Champions League, April 2025)
Declan Rice scored two wonderful free-kicks as Arsenal thrashed Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of the teams’ Champions League quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium in April 2025.
Mikel Merino later scored another superb goal as Mikel Arteta’s side sealed an emphatic win over the 15-time European champions and take a huge step towards the semi-finals.
Real Madrid 1-2 Arsenal (Champions League, April 2025)
Arsenal put paid to talk of a famous Real Madrid comeback by beating Los Blancos 2-1 in another impressive performance at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Bukayo Saka’s 13th-minute penalty was saved by Thibaut Courtois, but the England forward later put the Gunners in front and although Vinícius Júnior later levelled, Gabriel Martinelli netted in added time to secure a 2-1 win on the night and a 5-1 aggregate victory for the Gunners.
