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Real Madrid have long distinguished themselves as the true monarchs of European football. The Madrid-based juggernauts have won the Champions League nearly twice as many times as the next most successful European club. They have 13 trophies to their name, in comparison to AC Milan's 7.
The Spanish giants also hold the record for most La Liga wins, with 34. The era of Madrid's dominance has been long and seemingly unending. However, that doesn't mean the club have had smooth sailing all the time.
Over the years, Los Blancos have encountered more than a few boogie teams and players. While some clubs get the better of them some players have consistently shown their best performances against Los Blancos. So without further ado, here are five players who have tormented Real Madrid over the years:
Honourable mentions
Some players have enjoyed blistering exploits against Real Madrid. Nearly a century ago. Athletic Bilbao legend Guillermo Gorostiza scored 19 goals in 28 matches against Los Blancos in the 1930s.
The 1940s also saw the Madridistas struggle against Telmo Zarra. The Bilbao legend notched up 22 goals in 23 games, one of the best ever goal ratios against Madrid.
Other players who deserve a mention have played too few games against the club. Stars like Alvaro Morata and Gabriel Jesus have a clean record of two goals in two games against Los Blancos. Milan legend Andriy Shevchenko also scored four times in as many meetings against Madrid.
#5 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Barcelona
Now at Barcelona, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could face Real Madrid for the first time since 2018.
Madridistas would be worried, and rightfully so, as the former Arsenal marksman has been ruthless form in front of goal against them. The Gabon star played six games against Los Blancos during his time at Borussia Dortmund.
In those six games, Aubameyang and Dortmund won just once, where they kept a clean sheet at the Signal Iduna Park in 2014. However, while his team failed to snatch wins against the Galacticos, Aubameyang flourished.
Before leaving Dortmund, the star scored a stunning five goals in six games against Madrid, including a brace at the Santiago Bernabeu.
#4 Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich
Los Blancos are a very tough team to beat, and Bayern Munich's lethal forward Robert Lewandowski knows this better than most.
The Polish striker has played eight games against the Galacticos with both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, but has won just thrice. Like Aubameyang, though, Lewandowski has prospered in front of goal against Los Blancos.
Arguably one of the best ever strikers in the history of the game, Lewandowski has managed six goals in eight games against Madrid.
There is little chance Madridistas would forget his four-goal burst against them in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2013. Although the star has just scored one goal while facing them with Die Roten, he remains a serious threat in the box.
#3 Samuel Eto'o | Barcelona legend
Although he is now retired, Samuel Etoo was a pain for Real Madrid, and they won't easily forget him.
In 20 games against Los Blancos, Eto'o managed just five losses, winning ten games. He may be renowned for his years at Barcelona, but Madridistas will remember his attacking ruthlessness while he played for Mallorca.
Losing just twice to the Spanish giants while at Mallorca, Eto'o scored a brilliant seven goals in just 12 games, also assisting another three.
The star took a bit of that form into his Blaugrana stint, scoring two goals and assisting one in four El Clasico clashes. In total, Eto'o managed 11 goals and five assists across 20 games against Real Madrid.
#2 Luis Suarez | Atletico Madrid
Although he currently plays for Atletico Madrid, Luis Suarez played a lot of times against Real Madrid while he was at Barcelona.
Like Samuel Eto'o, the Uruguayan is another player who prospered in front of goal against the Madridistas, winning seven games out of 19. The star also faced Madrid while playing for Ajax in 2010, but it was his exploits while at Barcelona that is still fresh in the memories of the Galacticos.
While with the Blaugrana, Suarez managed 11 goals and three assists in 15 El Clasico appearances. Among his many duels against the Spanish giants, the Madridistas will hardly forget the Copa del Rey semi-final of 2019, where Suarez scored a brace at the Santiago Bernabeu.
At the same ground, he managed another brace in 2015, leading Barcelona to a 4-0 win.
#1 Lionel Messi | PSG
Currently plying his trade in France, Lionel Messi took La Liga by storm, and even Real Madrid struggled to hold the maestro quiet for 90 minutes.
It's worth noting that the Argentine star has played 46 games against Los Blancos, and with PSG set to take on Madrid in March, he could add to that tally. No other player has played more games against Los Blancos in the club's rich and proud history, and that alone sets Messi apart.
However, it isn't just his number of appearances against Real Madrid that has given them so much to worry about.
Messi's brilliant playmaking and goalscoring made the star nearly unstoppable in the final third. He bagged 26 goals and 14 assists against Los Blancos. Madridistas will never forget when the star stole the show in 2014, scoring an amazing hat-trick at the Santiago Bernabeu.
