Top 5 Meetings: El Clasico

 

Barcelona and Real Madrid renew their bitter rivalry in the El Clasico at the Camp Nou tonight. This is the first El Clasico of the 2019/20 season. We look back on some of the best games in this classic derby. Bet on the game here. 

Real Madrid 3 v 4 Barcelona – March 2014

Lionel Messi’s hat-trick inspired a magnificent win for the Blaugrana against 10-man Real Madrid in 2014. Andres Iniesta put the visitors ahead before Karim Benzema’s brace turned things around in favour of Los Blancos. The Argentina forward then scored his first before half-time to restore parity. However, Barcelona were pegged back again by a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty which put the hosts 3-2 up before Sergio Ramos was sent off in the 63rd minute. Messi completed his hat-trick with two penalties to give Barcelona a priceless win.

Barcelona 5 v 0 Real Madrid – November 2010

Real Madrid were utterly obliterated by Barcelona in one of the most one-sided El Clasicos of the decade. This was Jose Mourinho’s worst result of his trophy-laden career as a coach. The hosts never looked back after going 2-0 up inside 18 minutes through Xavi Hernandez and Pedro. Messi did not score but he was sublime throughout the game, setting up David Villa for the third and fourth goals in the space of three second-half minutes. Jeffren inflicted the final blow to make it 5-0 to cap a dazzling display for the hosts. Ramos also picked up a red card for a reckless scythe at Messi at the death. It was a frustrating and embarrassing night for Los Blancos.

Real Madrid 4 v 2 Barcelona – April 2005

Barcelona were humbled by the Galacticos who were at their peak at that time. Michael Owen and David Beckham inspired Real Madrid to a comfortable 4-2 win over their rivals. Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo put Los Blancos two goals up before Samuel Eto’o pulled one back for the Blaugrana. Raul Gonzalez made it 3-1 before Beckham picked out Owen, who beat Victor Valdes for Madrid’s fourth of the night. Ronaldinho brilliantly curled in a free-kick, a goal which proved to be merely a consolation goal, as Madrid reduced Barcelona’s lead to just six points with seven games left to play.

Real Madrid 2 v 6 Barcelona – May 2009

In 2009, Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona sealed the treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League as well as this memorable victory over their eternal rivals. With just four matches of the season remaining, Barcelona handed Los Blancos this embarrassing defeat hushing the Santiago Bernabéu. Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona destroyed Madrid 6-2 with two goals from Thierry Henry, two from Messi, and one apiece from centre-back pairing Carlos Puyol and Gerard Pique. Los Blancos had arrived into this encounter with 17 wins from 18 games. Although Juande Ramos’ side scored first through Gonzalo Higuain after 13 minutes, the visitors swiftly responded through Henry.  It was 3-1 to the visitors after 36 minutes before Ramos got one back after the break. After that, the floodgates opened with Henry, Messi and Pique finishing Real Madrid off on their way to winning the La Liga title that same year.

Real Madrid 5 v 0 Barcelona – January 1995

Barcelona had won four successive La Liga titles prior to the 1995 season. This was the Barcelona team coached by Dutch legend Johan Cruyff. Cruyff and Barcelona took the world by storm with their unique style of ‘tiki-taka’ football which would undergo exponential growth in the next two decades. Real welcomed their bitter rivals to the Bernabeu looking to end Barca’s unconquerable dominance in La Liga. Chilean Ivan Zamorano bagged a hat-trick although Danish playmaker Michael Laudrup stole the show. With two more goals from Luis Enrique and Jose Amavisca, Real sealed this huge victory which would see Madrid win the title ending Barcelona’s stranglehold.