User Review
( votes)The countdown is on to Saturday’s big game between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Let’s have a look at ten facts associated with this great fixture that you may find interesting.
1902 – THE RIVALRY BEGINS
The 13th of May 1902 was the first recorded match between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Since that first meeting, over 750 goals have been scored in matches between the two sides.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
21 players have crossed the divide and represented both teams, from Alfredo Di Stefano to Luis Figo. When Di Stefano agreed to join Los Blancos from Barcelona, it is believed by many to have been the moment that started the bitter rivalry between the two teams.
THE DAY THE WORLD STANDS STILL
El Clasico is the second most watched football match in the world after the Champions League Final. A global audience of around 400 million is expected for Saturday’s latest encounter.
THE MOST POPULAR SCORELINE
If punters are looking for pointers on the best football betting sites ahead of Saturday’s showdown, then they might like to know that 2-1 to either team is the most popular full-time result in El Clasico league meetings.
GOALS, GOALS, GOALS
Between 1946 &1952 on 13 consecutive occasions, both teams managed to score making it the longest continuous streak in the history of this great fixture. The current run stands at nine which is the second longest.
ROYAL MADRID
Most people will be aware of the crown on the club badge of Real (Royal) Madrid. What people may not be aware of, was that the crown was removed during the Spanish Civil War and the word Real was dropped from the team’s name making them known simply as Madrid FC. The crown returned to the club crest in 1941.
NO EUROPEAN FINAL MEETING
Despite having won 15 European trophies between them, the world still has to wait for a Real Madrid v Barcelona Champions League Final – surely the Clasico to end all Clasico’s
BARCELONA’S CUP FINAL HAMMERING
The biggest ever margin of victory in the fixture was back in 1943 when Real Madrid beat Barcelona 11-1 in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey. Los Blancos also hold the record for biggest league victory, when they hammered their rivals 8-2 in 1935.
LAUDRUP’S DOUBLE DELIGHT
Legendary Danish striker Michael Laudrup is the only player to have won back to back league championships with both clubs. He won with Barcelona in 1993 before clinching the title the following season with Real.
BARCELONA’S ERA OF DOMINANCE
From November 1st 1917 until June 3rd 1928, Barcelona went 13 games unbeaten against the men from the capital, which is still the longest run of games without defeat between the two sides.
Steve Mitchell (@barafundler)