The historic rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona needs a little introduction. El Clasico, as meetings between the two clubs have become famously known, is always one of the biggest and fiercest match-ups in football history. On Sunday 28 October, football fans are in for another thrilling spectacle for the first time this LaLiga season as Barcelona hosts Real Madrid at the Camp Nou.
In anticipation this intense match, here are 10 facts you probably didn’t know about the El Clasico:
1. A rivalry of 115 years of history: The first match between Real Madrid and Barcelona was in May 13, 1902, a Coronation Cup match that Barcelona won 3-1. Real Madrid won the first league Clasico, on February 17, 1929, by 2-1.
2. Messi leads with 21 goals to his belt. With 21 goals, Lionel Messi leads the list of top goal scorers in El Clasico. He is followed by Di Stefano (18), Cristiano Ronaldo (16), and Raul (15). Messi is also the player with the most assists (13) and hat-tricks (2) in the competition’s history.
3. End of an era. Lionel Messi’s legendary rivalry with Portuguese international, Cristiano Ronaldo comes to a screeching halt following Ronaldo’s move to Juventus. In addition, for the first time since 2007, Messi will not play due to an arm injury.
4. The Di Stefano Transfer: The Alfredo Di Stefano transfer is one of the contributing factors which resulted in infuriating the rivalry between the two sides. Originally supposed to sign for Barcelona, Stefano moved permanently to Real Madrid and became an integral part of the success achieved by Real Madrid. Stefano even scored twice in his first game against Barcelona and won five European titles with the Madrid side.
5. No player knows the Clasico better than Manuel Sanchis who made 43 appearances in the game during his time at Real Madrid.
6. No 0-0 draws for 15 Years. The last 0-0 draw came on November 23, 2002, and it happened in the Camp Nou.
7. Ronaldo Nazario is the only player to have scored for both teams in the El Clasico.
8. In 228 competitive meetings between the sides, Real Madrid has won 91 to Barcelona’s 88.
9. Barcelona’s huge loss: A crucial moment in this fantastic sporting rivalry occurred in 1943, when Real Madrid beat Barcelona 11–1 at home in the second leg of a semi-final of the Copa del Rey.
10. There has been six goalless draws involving these two teams in history.
Enjoy the action of Spain’s biggest football rivalry this Sunday on DStv LIVE and in HD on SuperSport 7 (ch 227) and on GOtv SuperSport Select 4 ( ch 34)
