Real Madrid v Barcelona 2020: This century’s 5 greatest El Clasico moments
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We remember some of El Clasico’s greatest moments
After their Champions League exploits mid-week, RealMadrid return to La Liga against their fiercest rivals, Barcelona, in the latestrendition of El Clasico.
In the 180th league meeting between the two, or 244th in allcompetitions, Real Madrid and Barcelona are once again locking horns at the topof the La Liga table, with Blaugrana occupying top spot two points clearof Los Blancos.
Ahead of kick-off at 20:00 on Sunday 1st March, we look atsome of the most memorable El Clasico moments in years gone by.
Barcelona 0-0 Real Madrid – November 2002 – The Pig’sHead
A match where the score line doesn’t tell the any of thestory.
After a record-breaking controversial move from Barcelona tobitter rival’s Real Madrid back in July 2000, Luis Figo had endured a torridfirst return to Camp Nou in October 2000, returning to an onslaught of jeersand abuse in a 2-0 defeat.
Fast forward two years, and the abuse and rivalry showed nosigns of slowing. Figo had missed out on the previous two El Clasico’s throughinjury, but when he stepped back on the pitch in 2002, the torment hit newlevels.
Beer bottles, cigarette lights and whisky bottles were justsome of the missiles thrown at the Portuguese winger as he took set pieces, butthe worst was yet to come. With the game suspended for 20 minutes, one of themost iconic footballing moments was about to come.
A pig’s head was thrown onto the pitch, showing just howseriously Barcelona fans take the rivalry and the deceit from Figo.
Real Madrid0-3 Barcelona – November 2005 – Ronaldinho’s Magic
In contrast to the reception given to Figo at the Camp Nou,Ronaldinho produced a performance which left the entire paying crowd at theSantiago Bernabeu in awe.
The Brazilian wizard had been named European Footballer ofthe Year earlier in the week and took to the Bernabeu pitch to prove his worth.
His magic led Barcelona to a 3-0 win in Madrid, with a majesticsecond-half brace featuring carbon copy goals, cutting in from the left,leaving the right back behind and slotting past Iker Casillas.
Ronaldinho’s performance was so complete, that in the 77thminute, after his second and Barcelona’s third, the entire crowd, includingReal Madrid’s loyal support, stood on their feet to applaud a masterclass.
It was only the second time it had happened in El Clasicohistory, a tribute only Diego Maradona had ever received before in a Barcelonashirt.
Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid – November 2010 – Mourinho’sMadrid humbled
It was the start of the Jose Mourinho v Pep Guardiolarivalry, after Jose ‘The Special One’ Mourinho traded the Italian capital andInter Milan, for the Spanish capital and Real Madrid.
Mourinho had led his Real Madrid side to their best startever, but his biggest test was yet to come. Step forward, Pep.
In front of over 98,000 fans at Camp Nou, Barcelona put on aclinic and humbled Mourinho’s Madrid, handing them a 5-0 thrashing in a matchwhere they had no answers.
Xavi Hernandez opened the floodgates as early as 10 minutesin, before Pedro Rodriquez doubled their lead on 18 minutes.
Despite not getting on the scoresheet, Lionel Messi producedyet another masterclass in the false-nine role, with David Villa and Pedroeither side.
Villa managed to grab a brace mid-way through the secondhalf to bring the scoreline to 4-0, before late substitute Jeffren put theicing of the cake with a fifth.
But that wasn’t the end of the drama, as Sergio Ramos pickedup his first red card in an El Clasico, his 12th career red card in the 93rdminute.
Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona – April 2014 – Bale’s late soloeffort
El Clasico headed to the Mestalla, Valencia to contest the2013-14 Copa del Rey final, the seventh El Clasico Copa del Rey final, withMadrid and Barcelona each winning three previously.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had to plan his tacticswithout their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, who had been ruled out of the finalwith knee and thigh injuries.
In a close-knit affair, Madrid took the lead thanks to anAngel Di Maria goal, with a left footed strike that went through the legs ofJordi Alba, and in off the left hand of stand-in goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto.
Marc Bartra levelled for Barcelona in the 68th minute, withthe Spanish central defender glancing in a Xavi corner. And with five minutesof the match remaining, it looked destined to go to extra time.
Step forward, Gareth Bale.
With five minutes to play, Bale picked up the ball in hisown half on the left wing, starting a run at blistering pace, taking on Barca’sgoalscorer Bartra, at one stage, off the pitch, before eventually leaving theSpaniard behind, evading more challenges before slotting a bouncing ball pastPinto.
Real Madrid fans went crazy. Cristiano Ronaldo went crazy too.But more importantly, Gareth Bale had truly announced his arrival to the Madridfaithful, and won the Copa del Rey.
Barcelona 5-1 Real Madrid – October 2018 – Suarez stepsup
Just three months after losing Cristiano Ronaldo toJuventus, Los Blancos under the stewardship of Julen Lopetegui headed toCatalonia for the 177th El Clasico in La Liga.
Madrid were handed a boost in the build up to the game, withBarca’s talisman Messi ruled out through injury. Would Lopetegui mastermind aconfidence boosting performance and get his Real Madrid career started?
Luis Suarez had other ideas, with the Uruguayan strikerstepping up in Messi’s absence. Barcelona outclassed Real Madrid, and Suarezbagged a memorable hat-trick in a match which ended up being Lopetegui’s lastin charge.
As for Madrid, Gareth Bale struggled to fill the Ronaldovoid, Isco played further forward on the wing, a position unfamiliar to him,and the performance highlighted the issues at the Bernabeu club.
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