Ben Stewart
10 things you need to know before the El Clasico this weekend
Real Madrid and Barcelona will reignite their fierce rivalry this weekend as the fight for the La Liga crown continues.
The legendary fixture has been played for over a century and has produced some of football’s most iconic moments.
Here, we take a closer look at the top 10 El Clasico stats.
Most wins
The El Clasico is arguably one of the oldest football rivalries in the world. The first fixture between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid took place back in 1902 in the semi-final of the Copa de la Coronacion.
Since then, there have been 283 matches between the two clubs across multiple different competitions and exhibitions.
When looking at solely competitive fixtures, it’s Real Madrid who have a slight edge, having won 100 games compared to Barcelona’s 97.
However, if you incorporate the 34 exhibition meetings, it’s the Catalonian side which leads the way with 117 total wins to 104.
Top goalscorer
Unsurprisingly, it’s Lionel Messi who leads the way when it comes to the El Clasico goal scoring charts. The Argentine has bagged 26 efforts, including 18 in La Liga encounters.
Messi is eight goals ahead of two former Real Madrid stars in Alfredo Di Stefano and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Di Stefano scored 14 of his 18 goals in league games, while Ronaldo enjoyed considerable success in cup games.
While the gap between the current Manchester United man and Messi may seem sizable, it’s important to note that the Argentine has featured in 15 further derbies.
Most hat-tricks
There is no single leader in the hat-trick department, with four players currently sharing the accolade.
Club legend Santiago Bernabeu was the first man to score three goals in the El Clasico. In fact, he did it twice in 1916.
Jaime Lazcano bagged two hat-tricks during the 1930s, while Hungarian superstar Ferenc Puskas did so in the 1960s.
The last man on the list is Lionel Messi who scored his first hat-trick as a 19-year-old. His second arrived during the 2013/14 campaign.
Fastest goal
Karim Benzema stamped his name into the history books when he netted the fastest El Clasico goal back in December 2011.
The Frenchman scored just 21 seconds into the fixture, though Los Blancos lost the match 3-1.
Most consecutive goals
Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed the longest consecutive goalscoring run in the El Clasico.
The former Real Madrid star bagged seven goals in six straight derbies.
His first effort came in the first leg of a 2011/12 Copa del Rey quarter-final, while the run came to an end in a league match during the 2012/13 season.
Chile’s Ivan Zamorano is second on the list, after scoring five goals in five consecutive games for Real Madrid.
Most consecutive wins
The 1960s were arguably some of the best years in Los Blancos history.
Real Madrid claimed eight league titles during that decade and enjoyed a seven-match winning streak against Barcelona. The run started with a spring victory in 1962 and ended three years later.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men were on track to matching that total after winning five straight El Clasico’s from March 2020 to their Super Cup win in January 2022.
However, their run came crashing last March as Barcelona broke the run with an emphatic 4-0 victory in the capital.
Biggest margin of victory
The biggest ever victory in the El Clasico came in somewhat controversial circumstances.
Real Madrid beat Barcelona 11-1 in the second-leg of their 1943 Copa del Rey semi-final. However, considering the Catalan side won the first leg 3-0, something was clearly amiss.
The second-biggest victory took place eight years earlier when Real picked up an 8-2 win in a league match.
Most appearances
Current PSG teammates Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi share the record for the most El Clasico appearances with 45 each.
Second on the list is former Barcelona star Sergio Busquets who played in 43 derbies.
Current Barca manager Xavi shares third spot with Francisco Gento and Manuel Sanchis – with all three men racking up 42 outings.
Most appearances as manager
Speaking of managers, the man who has experiences the most derbies from the touchline is Miguel Munoz.
The Spaniard, who was in charge of Real Madrid from 1960 to 1974, participated in 36 El Clasico’s.
Dutchman and former Barcelona boss Johan Cruyff is second with 25. Current AS Roma boss Jose Mourinho closes out the top three with 17.
Most clean sheets
Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have boasted some of the best goalkeeping talent in world football.
However, the man with the most clean sheets in the El Clasico is Barcelona legend Victor Valdez.
The Spaniard kept Los Blancos scoreless on seven occasions during his 12 year spell at the club.