Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Seven classic El Clasico clashes at the Nou Camp as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo do battle this weekend
It's biggest game in club football which has produced spectacular encounters throughout years — a selection of recent matches
THIS weekend will be the first El Clasico clash of the season — and we can’t wait.
Barcelona host Real Madrid in the biggest match in club football.
La Liga’s top two have been far from their scintillating best — with the leaders six points clear of their Catalan rivals.
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However, victory can often be a springboard to success.
This game rarely disappoints — here are seven classic Nou Camp Clasicos.
Barcelona 2 Real Madrid 0 — La Liga: Oct 21, 2000
THIS was Luis Figo’s first-return since his world-record move to Real Madrid.
That year’s Ballon d’Or winner was given a security escort from the airport “like a criminal” — and the noise inside the Nou Camp was louder than in any nightclub in the city that night.
On the pitch, goals from Luis Enrique and Simao secured victory.
Barcelona 0 Real Madrid 0 — La Liga: Nov 23, 2002
HOW can a goalless draw be considered a classic?
Well this was an exception to the rule as Figo came in for some particularly rough treatment by the fans that once idolised him.
The Nou Camp faithful showed their disgust as they launched a pig’s head at the midfielder — while play was temporarily suspended.
Barcelona 0 Real Madrid 2 — Champions League semi-final first leg: Apr 24, 2002
AMAZINGLY, the pair finished third and fourth in La Liga with Deportivo coming second behind Valencia.
Real Madrid had won the Champions League twice in the past five seasons, with Barcelona still on one in their entire history.
And Los Blancos reigned again. Steve McManaman’s stoppage time second all but sealing qualification after Zinedine Zidane’s opener.
Barcelona 3 Real Madrid 3 — La Liga: March 10, 2007
EVERYONE knows his genius now, but this was the day the world stood up and really took notice of Lionel Messi.
Real Madrid took the lead three times at the Nou Camp, through a Ruud van Nistelrooy brace and Sergio Ramos.
But Messi hit back every time — completing his hat-trick and salvaging a point with just two minutes remaining.
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Barcelona 1 Real Madrid 0 — La Liga: November 29, 2009
KAKA, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic moved to La Liga — as Spanish football was about to re-take football supremacy from the grasp of the Premier League.
This was the most highly-anticipated domestic clash in years.
And it was settled by Ibrahimovic, who came off the bench to score the game's only goal.
Barcelona 5 Real Madrid 0 — La Liga: November 29, 2010
THEY had the best players and the biggest names, but there one thing missing — the two greatest managers on the planet.
In came Jose Mourinho, who replaced Manuel Pellegrini as Real Madrid boss. This was the even more highly-anticipated than the clash exactly year earlier.
But Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona produced a masterclass.
Xavi, Pedro, David Villa with two and Jeffren in stoppage time completed the rout, before Ramos was sent off and pushed international team-mate, Carles Puyol, in the face.
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Barcelona 1 Real Madrid 2 — La Liga: April 21, 2012
A YEAR on and it finally happened — Real Madrid beat Barcelona in La Liga.
Guardiola had been the scourge of Los Blancos, winning every match bar one, and even at the Bernabeu earlier in the season.
But Mourinho did it as goals from Sami Khedira and Cristiano Ronaldo — sandwiched between Alexis Sanchez's brief leveller — set the club on course for title glory.