FC Barcelona host Real Madrid in the 232nd El Clasico. Over the years, the Clasico has been famous for its feisty battles. This tie has showcased brilliant performances by some of the greatest players to have ever graced the game.
The spotlight will be on Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo who look to help their team secure the win over their arch rivals. During his time at Barcelona, Messi has produced some stellar performances against Real Madrid. The Argentine has scored a total of twenty-one goals, making him the highest goalscorer in this fixture.
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In this piece we shall have a look at the five best performances of the little magician against Real Madrid:
#1 Real Madrid vs Barcelona, La Liga 2008-09 (Final score: Real 2-6 Barcelona)
Real Madrid fans would certainly like to forget this game as they saw their team being comprehensively beaten by Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Barcelona conceded in the fourteenth minute after Gonzalo Higuain gave the hosts the lead. The visitors equalised in the 18th minute when Messi found Thierry Henry, who was played on-side by Sergio Ramos. Barca went ahead two minutes after the restart with Puyol scoring a thumping header from a free kick . Messi got on the scoresheet in the 30th and 75th minute with Pique completing the rout in the 83rd minute.
Lionel Messi had a wonderful game linking up seamlessly with his team-mates, making intelligent runs behind the defence, scoring as well as setting up his teammates. Further evidence of this was his link up with Xavi for the fifth goal when he calmly beat Casillas on his near post after Xavi dissected the Real defence with his intricate passing.
Messi ended the night with a brace and an assist.
#2 Real Madrid vs Barcelona, UEFA Champions League 2010/11, semi-final first leg (Final score: Real 0-2 Barcelona)
The semi-final (first leg) tie was the third Clasico which was played in less than a fortnight. This tie was marred by some rough play from both sides and the hosts were reduced to ten men after Pepe was sent off for a challenge on Dani Alves, a minute after the hour mark.
The deadlock was broken in the 76th minute when Messi tapped home a cross from Ibrahim Afellay. The highlight of the match came in the three minutes from time when Lionel Messi took over from Sergio Busquets in midfield and eased past 4-5 Madrid defenders before slotting past a helpless Iker Casillas.
The game was an example of the sheer class Messi exuded. His exquisite ball control, composure in front and ability to get past defenders with ease were all shown in his second goal. Throughout the game, Messi had caused problems for the Madrid defence and his hard work was rewarded with a brace which gave the visitors a comfortable 2-0 aggregate lead.
Barcelona eventually won the Champions League after beating Manchester United at Wembley.
#3 Barcelona vs Real Madrid, La Liga 2006-07 (Final score: Real 3-3 Barcelona)
The first Clasico of the 06/07 season played at the Camp Nou saw a 19-year-old kid score his first El Clasico hat-trick for his team against their eternal rivals. Nistelrooy opened the scoring in the 5th minute, but Messi covered the deficit by scoring in the 11th minute itself.
After that, the hosts were down to ten men after defender Oleguer was sent off for bringing down Real midfielder Guti in the penalty box. The subsequent penalty was scored by Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
The hosts equalised fifteen minutes from the restart when Lionel Messi smashed in a shot which was initially saved by Casillas. The game got more interesting when Real took the lead in the seventy-second minute through Sergio Ramos.
Also Read: Barcelona and Real Madrid players who could miss the El Clasico
The game ended in dramatic fashion when Messi scored in the dying minutes of the game hence completing his hattrick. Messi was brilliant throughout the game with his efforts earning the home side a well-deserved draw after being a man down.
#4 Real Madrid vs Barcelona, La Liga 2013-14 (Final score: Real 3-4 Barcelona)
Lionel Messi’s hat-trick helped Barca edge Real by four goals to three in a match that breathed life into Barcelona’s title ambitions.
Barcelona were pegged back by a brace from Karim Benzema after taking the lead through Andres Iniesta. The visitors then equalised when Messi scored three minutes before half-time only for Cristiano Ronaldo to score from the penalty spot in the fifty-fifth minute.
Real were down to ten men when Sergio Ramos was sent off in the second half. Barcelona capitalised from then on with Lionel Messi scoring two decisive penalties which tilted the game in Barca’s favour.
The game was one of the best Messi had ever played as he came up with the goals when his team were trailing and needed him the most. Messi also broke two records when he surpassed Hugo Sanchez’s as the second highest scorer in the league and became the highest scorer in the Clasico, thereby breaking the record set by Alfredo di Stefano.
#5 Barcelona vs Real Madrid, La Liga 2010-11 (final score: Real 0-5 Barcelona)
If there was any Clasico where one side completely dominated the other, it has to be the game where Real were bamboozled by a magnificent Barcelona side by five goals to nil.
The hosts controlled the game from the beginning of the game. This game saw Spaniard David Villa score a hat-trick in his first Clasico with goals from Xavi and Jeffrén Suárez heaping more misery on the visitors.
The architect behind some of the goals was Lionel Messi who formed an impeccable partnership with Xavi and Iniesta. Although Messi did not get on the scoresheet, he provided two assists which Villa finished with ease. Messi’s distribution was exceptional, gaining possession from midfield, making those marauding runs and exploiting any space left by the opposition.
Messi was all over the pitch, providing the killer pass and a perfect transition from defence to attack.
In short, the Argentine was toying around with Real’s defence which can be seen when he played a delicate through ball between the two centre-halves for David Villa’s second and third goal.
