History, tradition, hatred. El Clasico in Spain between Real Madrid and Barcelona is bigger than life, and bigger than even the two greatest football stars in the world: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but using numbers and statistics can help understand a little bit more about the biggest club match in the world, not just the Spanish La Liga.
226
This will be the 226th official meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the 168th in the La Liga. The record is quite close between the two, with Real Madrid winning 90 matches, Barcelona claiming 87 wins; 48 matches have ended in draws, and Real Madrid have a 379-363 advantage in the goals department.
150
The two teams have a combined 150 titles in international and local competitions, and that’s while we exlude some forgotten tournaments like the Copa de la Liga and Copa Eva Duarte.
| Real Madrid | Championship | Barcelona | Official |
|---|---|---|---|
| International (official) | |||
| 0 | FIFA Club World Cup | 2 | Yes |
| 3 | UEFA/CONMEBOL Intercontinental Cup (Defunct) | 0 | Yes |
| 9 | UEFA Champions League | 4 | Yes |
| 2 | UEFA Europa League | 0 | Yes |
| 1 | UEFA Super Cup | 4 | Yes |
| 0 | UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (Defunct) | 4 | Yes |
| 0 | UEFA Intertoto Cup (Defunct) | 0 | Yes |
| 0 | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (Defunct) | 3 | Yes |
| Domestic (official) | |||
| 32 | La Liga (Primera División) | 22 | Yes |
| 18 | Copa del Rey | 26 | Yes |
| 9 | Supercopa de España | 11 | Yes |
18
The all-time top scorers in this rivalry are Alfredo Di Stefano of Real Madrid and Lionel Messi of Barcelona, both with 18 goals. Di Stefano has scored 14 of his goals under the La Liga banner; Messi has 11, adding five more in the Super Cup and two more in the Champions League.
14
The last time we had a league Clasico ending in a 0-0 result was back in November 2002. There have been 14 consecutive Clasico matches in all competitions in which at least one goal was scored, although the 2011 Copa Del Rey Final, ending in a 1-0 win for Real Madrid, was decided only in extra time with a Cristiano Ronaldo goal. Barcelona have scored in each of their last 11 trips to the Santiago Bernabeu in all competitions; the last time they failed to net was back in October 2006.
2
Real Madrid haven’t won consecutive league Clasico matches at the Bernabeu since 2008. They beat Barcelona 2-1 last season, although it didn’t help them win the title.
1 of 4
Real Madrid have played four Clasico matches with Diego Lopez between the goalposts. Only once they did lose, winning two and drawing another. Barcelona haven’t won consecutive Clasico matches since 2010, part of a five-game winning streak in the rivalry during the Pep Guardiola era.
31
The last time Real Madrid lost a match this season? October 26, in the Clasico, against Barcelona (2-1). Since then they’ve gone 31 matches unbeaten in all competitions. They’ve won their last three matches in all competitions, and their last dropped points in the league came in the 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid at the beginning of this month.
39
Xavi has appeared in more Clasico matches than any other Barcelona player – 38 times. He is only five matches away from tying the all time record which belongs to Manuel Sanchís of Real Madrid, who has one more appearance than Francisco Gento with 42 appearances.
12.7
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo combine to take 12.7 shots per game at goal: Ronaldo with 7.6 (meaning one every 11 minutes and 50 seconds), Messi with 5.1 (one every 17 minutes and 38 seconds). Ronaldo, with 25 league goals this season, scores a goal on 13% of his attempts at goal, while Messi scored on 16.8% of his attempts.