Real Madrid vs Barcelona: A Rivalry for the Ages

With the triumph of Real Madrid, the 250th Spanish football classic was played. A rivalry that began in 1902, in a match won by the azulgranas for the Copa de la Coronación. However, since those days, time has tipped the balance. The "merengues" have 100 victories, compared to their rival's 97. The all-time top scorer in the history of these encounters? Lionel Messi.

Recent History

The last few years have meant a new golden age for Real Madrid and a downfall for Barcelona. But how has the recent history of this classic been? With the new victory that the "merengues" add to their list, let's review the last five LaLiga duels between the two clubs.

A victory with a taste of revenge. Madrid avenged their defeat in the previous classic and confirmed their winning streak. With 3 decisive goals, Benzema, Valverde, and Rodrygo became the authors of the victory. Ferrán Torres tried to shorten the score in the final minutes, but it was not enough.

A classic that meant a crushing defeat for Real Madrid at their own stadium. The ones responsible for sweeping Courtois' dominions were Fernán Torres, Ronald Araujo, and the then unstoppable Pierre Erick Aubameyang, who scored a brace.

The semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup brought a closely contested classic, with attacks and counterattacks from both teams. Thanks to their powerful offense, the "merengues" managed to prevail by one goal. Vinicius Jr., Karim Benzema, and Fede Valverde scored for Real in the match played in Saudi Arabia's capital. Ansu Fati and Luuk de Jong tried to bring the victory to Barça.

In this match, Madrid dealt Barcelona a tough defeat at their own stadium. The classic played at the start of the 20/21 LaLiga season was decided by the goals of Lucas Vásquez and David Alaba. The consolation goal for the "culés," in the final seconds of the match, was scored by "Kun" Agüero.

The last LaLiga classic played by Messi. A match in which a post prevented Messi from scoring an Olympic goal and in which Benzema and Kroos were responsible for defeating Barça. Óscar Mingueza attempted a comeback by scoring early in the second half for the "azulgranas," but the match was already closed at the Di Stefano.