El Clasico: Most iconic players, top scorers and records from Barca v Real
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Coral’s El Clasico records round-up
The first El Clasico of the 2016/17 season is almost upon us and it’s a big one. Dust-ups between Spain’s two most famous sides are always a feisty affair and usually determine the destination of football’s biggest prizes. This time the backdrop to Barca v Real is the race for La Liga, with Los Blancos seeking to widen an already substantial six-point lead over their bitterest rivals.
So, in light of this latest battle between the two behemoths, Coral writers consider the most iconic players, matches and records in El Clasico history…
Most wins
Can you guess which of Real Madrid and Barcelona (odds-on 4/5 favourites this time around), with their deep rivalry and long history, have come out tops in their tussles most often?
In recorded competitive matches across all competitions it is Real that unsurprisingly edge it with 93 to Barca’s 90, so we’re talking fine margins for supremacy here.
In league matches, Los Blancos (27/10 to win on Saturday) have a bigger lead with 72 victories to the Catalans’ 68 successes plus 32 draws. And there have been 280 Real goals in those games compared to Barcelona’s 273 strikes.
As for the domestic cups, this is where the Nou Camp club get ahead with 14 triumphs to the Madrid men’s 12 in the Copa del Rey, but the Spanish Super Cup belongs to Real with six scalps for the capital club and four for Barca.
It’s more of the same with continental clashes too as Real also pip Barca with the plaudits in three European Cup/Champions League encounters, while Barca boast the spoils from two.
Biggest wins with most goals
So, if Real lead in the head-to-head stakes, which side is streets ahead with the best or biggest scoreline? Sorry, Barca fans, that honour also goes to the Bernabeu boys.
Madrid were victorious by a 10 goal margin as they decimated Barcelona 11-1 back in 1943 in an old school Copa del Rey clash. Aside from an exhibition match the Catalans clinched 7-0 even further back in time, the next best they can offer in a competitive clash is a 7-2 top-flight success in 1950.
As for more modern margins of victory, Barcelona did batter Jose Mourinho’s Los Blancos 5-0 in 2010, and each side recorded the same result in the mid-90s too.
Relive the 2010 highlights below:
Most player appearances
We next move on to which players have the highest number of El Clasico appearances under their belts. Real Castilla product Manuel Sanchis, who plied his trade for the senior team as a sweeper from 1983-2001 currently boast the most outings with a fantastic 43.
While, former Real wingman Francisco Gento collected 42 appearances in the crunch clash when he featured from the 50s to 70s.
A modern day player who became a fixture in this fray was Xaxi Hernandez, as the homegrown midfield plotter also racked up 42 Clasico clashes, with Los Blancos legend Raul Gonzalez not far behind on 37.
Leading fixture scorers
Of course we eventually had to come to which players are top of the Clasico scoring charts, but you certainly won’t be surprised by the names leading the all-time standings.
Argentina superstar Lionel Messi has come up with the goods for Barca in this big game time and time again, enough to level with legend Alfredo Di Stefano on 14 for league goals, but has also surpassed the old great with 21 across all competitions compared to Di Stefano’s 18.
Cristiano Ronaldo is predictably close behind his rival on 16, one ahead of Raul.
As for heroic hat-tricks, nobody has bagged more than two in the tense tussle’s history, and Messi again comes first for that alongside another great in Ferenc Puskas.
Take a look at Messi’s highlights in El Clasico clashes:
Top consecutive scorers
For more fantastic goal stats, we next look to scorers in consecutive Clasico collisions and it is Ronaldo who can claim a better record than Messi in that regard with seven strikes in six successive scuffles. Lethal.
Former Chile and Madrid forward Ivan Zamorano came close to that with five in as many back-to-back battles in this fixture, as Barca’s biggest representative in this list, the one and only Ronaldinho, scored five in a run of four.
Ronaldo also has high El Clasico career highlights:
Most assists
It’s not just goals that matter in this mammoth match-up however, with chance creators and suppliers of openings just as crucial.
A familiar name springs up here as the leading light in carving open the opposition. Yes, it’s Messi once again, as the South American has provided the most assists with a fantastic 13. Inspirational all-rounder.
Highest number of cards collected
Finally, this duel is famous for its fights, testy tackles and general handbags at dawn. Neither Barcelona or Real Madrid come out of their history in this grudge game squeaky clean, but who has collected the most cards?
The highest number of cards for individual players have both been shown to Los Blancos boys. Former Real skipper Fernando Hierro was shown 15 yellow cards in his time plus one straight red card, though was twice sent for an early bath. Fierce.
From current players, present hot-headed captain Sergio Ramos is second with 16 in total, including 14 yellows, two straight reds and four sending offs in total. So far.
Watch Ramos getting himself in bother:
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