El Clasico is one of the biggest matches in world football between Spanish juggernauts Real Madrid and Barcelona, and these games are renowned for producing high drama, goalmouth action, fierce confrontations and unmissable moments that have been cemented in football folklore for eternity.
There has been little to separate these two teams over the decades, with Real Madrid winning 105 and Barcelona winning 102 of the 259 previous battles across all tournaments over a 96-year period.
Here, Sports Mole picks out five of the greatest El Clasico matches in history.
Barcelona 3-3 Real Madrid | La Liga | March 2007
© Imago
The football community had only one name on their lips at the conclusion of this pulsating El Clasico encounter - Lionel Messi.
At the age of just 19, Messi's transformation from wonderkid to superstar was there for the world to see, and he truly introduced himself to the El Clasico stage is some style with a memorable hat-trick at Camp Nou.
Within the opening 28 minutes, Ruud van Nistelrooy had given Real Madrid the lead twice, but both strikes were cancelled out by Messi equalisers. Barca ended a breathless first half with 10 men after Oleguer was shown two yellow cards.
Victor Valdes then denied Van Nistelrooy his hat-trick three times in the second half, before Sergio Ramos thought he had won it for Los Blancos with a 73rd-minute header. However, Barca's Argentine teenager came to the rescue, bursting past two defenders before firing home a 91st-minute equaliser to complete his treble.
Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid | La Liga | October 2010
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Real Madrid supporters look away now...
Not long after welcoming a fresh crop of Galacticos, including Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo, Jose Mourinho had enjoyed the best start of any Real Madrid manager in the club's history, but his baptism of fire at Camp Nou ended in humiliating fashion as Pep Guardiola's Barcelona put them to the sword 5-0 with a dominant, tiki-taka display.
While Messi was not on the scoresheet in this one, he still made his presence felt and assisted David Villa for both of his goals, while Xavi, Pedro and Jeffren Suarez also made the net ripple, before a customary Sergio Ramos red card in stoppage time rubbed salt into Real Madrid's wounds.
Real Madrid 3-4 Barcelona | La Liga | March 2014
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Seven goals, three penalties, a hat-trick, a red card, 35 fouls, late drama... this El Clasico thriller had it all!
Barcelona's bright start was rewarded with a seventh-minute opener from Andreas Iniesta, but Angel Di Maria set up Karim Benzema to score twice in the space of just four minutes and turn the match on its head before the 25-minute mark. Gerardo Martino's men, however, entered half time all square courtesy of a Lionel Messi equaliser three minutes before the break.
Real Madrid were ahead again, this time in controversial circumstances 10 minutes after the restart, as Cristiano Ronaldo converted from the penalty spot despite being tripped by Dani Alves just outside the area, but the hosts were reduced to 10 men shortly after Sergio Ramos - who else - was given his marching orders for felling Neymar inside the box.
Messi made no mistake from the resulting 12-yarder to restore parity, and after Dani Alves had struck the woodwork, Barca's No.10 won the game for the Catalan visitors with another emphatic spot kick six minutes from time, after Iniesta was sandwiched between Xabi Alonso and Dani Carvajal. Barca's triumph ended Real's 17-game winning streak at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona | Copa del Rey final | April 2014
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Just a month later, Real Madrid got their revenge in the Copa del Rey final without the presence of injured talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, with Welsh wizard Gareth Bale filling the void in admirable fashion.
Angel Di Maria fired an 11th-minute opener into the bottom corner, before Barcelona levelled thanks to Marc Bartra's superb second-half header. However, Bartra's elation soon morphed into despair, as he was unable to stop an iconic El Clasico match-winner scored by Bale five minutes from time.
Just as the closely-fought contest looked to be heading to extra time, Bale received the ball on the halfway line and knocked it into the empty Barcelona half. Bartra's best efforts to force Bale off the pitch were in vain, as the Los Blancos winger still managed to outsprint his Spanish counterpart and kept his balance as he cut inside and coolly squeezed his shot beyond Jose Manuel Pinto, helping Real win a 19th Copa del Rey trophy.
Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona | La Liga | April 2017
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Although Real Madrid went on to pip Barcelona to the La Liga title in this year, the Catalan giants extended the title race for a little while longer with a crucial five-goal victory at the Bernabeu, with Messi etching his name into the history books once again.
Los Blancos dominated the opening exchanges and eventually broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark through Casemiro, but his close-range finish was cancelled out by Messi just five minutes later courtesy of a fine individual goal.
While both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo missed good opportunities to give their teams a second-half lead, both Keylor Navas and Marc-Andre ter Stegen were called into action to make several important stops during a frantic end-to-end affair - the latter made a total of 12 saves in the 90 minutes, while the former reacted brilliantly to keep out Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez from close range.
However, Navas was unable to stop Ivan Rakitic's 20-yard rocket from flying into the far corner on the 73-minute mark, giving Barcelona the lead, before Sergio Ramos was sent off (again) for a two-footed lunge on Messi just four minutes later.
Real Madrid refused to go down without a fight with 10 men and it looked as if they had snatched a point when James Rodriguez nipped towards the near post to meet Marcelo's cross and slot home an 85th-minute equaliser. However, Messi stepped up to deliver when Barca needed it most, scoring his 500th goal for the Catalan club in the 92nd minute to seal a memorable triumph in the Spanish capital.
Honourable mentions:
Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona | La Liga | October 2024
Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid | Supercopa de Espana | August 2011
Real Madrid 2-6 Barcelona | La Liga | May 2009
Real Madrid 0-3 Barcelona | La Liga | November 2005
Real Madrid 4-2 Barcelona | La Liga | April 2005
Barcelona 1-5 Real Madrid | La Liga | January 1963
Barcelona 3-5 Real Madrid | La Liga | December 1960
Oliver Thomas
