7 Biggest moments in the history of El Clasico’s

It is here. The most hyped,and awaited fixture of the footballing world has finally arrived. It is the El Clasico, and it guarantees to pack a punch every time its name pops up on the fixture sheet. Such has been the magnitude of the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona, that many a titles have been decided by the results of these matches. This intense rivalry, that hasn’t died, over almost a century and shows no signs of laying off anytime soon, was originally a result of political and regional conflicts. We look back at some of the most historic El Classico’s ever played, as a tribute to the football religion they stand for.

 

1. Real Madrid 11-1 Barcelona, 1943

One of the main reason this match features on this list, is the score-line itself. During the World War II era, even after dictator-esque Franco ended the Spanish Civil War, the hatred was apparent between the supporters of the two regions. As the story goes, he demanded the Catalans to relinquish the second leg, after winning the first leg 3-0. Real Madrid went on to win the “The General’s Cup”. Oh, the irony!

2. The Advent of De Stefano, Real Madrid 5-0 Barcelona, 25 October, 1953

Arguably one of the greatest players ever to grace the Spanish soil, this particular game is remembered more for the fiasco preceding it, than for the game itself. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid worked like a Trojan,trying to acquire a particular Alfredo de Stefano from an Argentine club, Millonarios. Such was the tussle, that the involvement of FIFA was necessary. Stefano’s decision however, of choosing Madrid over Barcelona, didn’t go well with the other set of fans.
He stood up to all the hype by scoring the 1 and the 5 goal, on his very debut. And the rest, as they say,is history!

3. The Dutch magic, Real Madrid 0-5 Barcelona, 17 February 1973

Already having made a name for himself,even before landing in Spain,the situation this football legend found himself in, was quite similar to that of De Stefano. We are talking about the legendary Johan Cruyff. Though both Barcelona and Real Madrid wanted to get him to sign the dotted line, Cryuff made it clear, that he wouldn’t support a team that had any association with Franco.
He proved himself very early on, scoring a goal as Barcá defeated Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. And that was just the start.

4. Living the dream, Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid, 8 January 1994

Cruyff wasn’t just a great player.As a manger ,his team had a new crop of young players ready to take on any other team. His team,boasting of the likes of Guardiola, Bakero, Begiristain, Laudrup and Koeman proved to be deadly, as they crushed most of what they stepped on. In this particular game, the Brazilian superstar Romario stung hard with a hat-trick, demolishing Real Madrid. Barcelona ended up winning the league, while Real ended up at 4 position.

5. Shift of sides, Real Madrid 5-0 Barcelona, 7 January 1995

No later than a year after a humiliating defeat at the Camp Nou, Real Madrid ensured a win by the same margin at their home. But that wasn’t the talk of the season. The Danish great, Michael Laudrup decided to switch his allegiance to the Madrid side, after his relations with Cryuff turned sour. One would have assumed,that he would be hated by the Barcá loyalists, but he remained one of the only few to be loved by fans on either side.

6. Catalan Betrayal, Barcelona 0-0 Real Madrid, 24 November 2002

Barcelona had a ‘Et tu Brute?’ moment when Luis Figo decided to ditch them to be a part of the Galacticos. Breaking the transfer record, he joined Real Madrid betraying every Barcelona fan who considered him to be the dawn of a new era in Barcelona’s plans for the new millennium.
The game, renamed later as Derbi de la Vergüenza (The derby of shame) was a dark moment in the history of El Classicos. The Catalan crowd decided to take its own revenge. When Figo was to take the corner kick, he met with projectiles ranging from paper balls to bottles full of whiskey and the head of a suckling pig. Though the game ended even, this event remains as a part of a dark history.

7.Football wins, Real Madrid 0-3 Barcelona, 19 November 2005

The whole of Barcelona in the 2000’s was built on and around one player- Ronaldinho. With an attack comprising of Deco and Samuel Eto, they were quite the formidable force. This win over their rival just added salt to their already deep wounds of the breaking Galacticos. They were growing older and less formidable. Barcelona on the other hand, under Rijkaard, had found a new force, in the form of a wunderkind, Lionel Messi. The pace, agility and  clinicality almost broke the slow Real Madrid, who looked at their wits end.

The notable moment in the match though, was when the Bernabeu crowd stood up and applauded Ronaldinho’s 1 of the 2 goals. As much as each team, or the people may have hated each other, this proved that football is an emotion, and emotions don’t choose.

Some other notable mentions:

Messi Magic=Real’s brilliance, Barcelona 3-3 Real Madrid, 10 march 2007: No match,

Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid, 29 November 2010