WHEN LA LIGA’S big two collide, the world sits up and takes notice.
The biggest derby in football rarely disappoints so to keep you amused before tonight’s Copa del Rey clash kick-off, TheScore has compiled some of their most historic past meetings.
Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid – European Cup semi-final second leg, 1960
Madrid clocked up European Cup titles like they were going out of fashion during the competition’s early years. In fact of the nine they’ve won to date, FIVE came between 1955-1960 as they swept aside any club who were foolish enough to stand in their way. This all-Spanish semi-final finished 6-2 on aggregate.
YouTube credit: MrZIZIO10
Real Madrid 0-5 Barcelona – La Liga, 1974
Johan Cruyff personifies ‘the Barcelona way’ and the legendary Dutchman revolutionised the club both as a player and a coach. Madrid had come calling during his time at Ajax but he turned them down and a year later ran the show in this game – scoring one and assisting three more.
YouTube credit: Przemson1984
Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid – La Liga, 1994
As manager, Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ contained talents such as a baby-faced Pep Guardiola (see clip below), Ronald Koeman, Michael Laudrup, Gheorghe Hagi, Hristo Stoichkov and Romario. The Blaugrana annihilated Madrid on this particular January evening with Romario bagging a hat-trick.
YouTube credit: ItalianBarcaFan
Barcelona 0-0 Real Madrid – La Liga, 2002
Former World Player of the Year Luis Figo enjoyed a God-like status in Catalunya – that was before he upped and left for the capital to become Florentino Perez’s very first Galactico. On this return to Camp Nou, bottles, plastic cups and a pig’s head came raining down on the Portuguese winger’s head before the referee decided to postpone the game for 13 minutes fearing for the players’ safety.
YouTube credit: soccerontapvideos
Barcelona 3-3 Real Madrid – La Liga, 2007
The 06-07 season witnessed an unassuming 20-year-old by the name of Lionel Messi establish himself alongside Ronaldinho and Xavi. Returning from a broken metatarsal, the Argentine maestro equalised three times to rescue a point with a smashing hat-trick. Here’s his third in injury-time:
YouTube credit: gaetanplay
Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona – Copa Del Rey final, 2011
Last season witnessed a ‘world series’ of El Clasicos – a La Liga fixture, the two-legged meeting in the Champions League semi-final and the Copa Del Rey final meant the pair faced off on four occasions in the space of 18 days. Barca claimed a league and European double but Madrid did deny them the domestic cup thanks to this Cristiano Ronaldo header.
YouTube credit: cristianoX9Xronaldo
