Alfredo Di Stefano, Raul and Ferenc Puskas among the names on list of top ten Real Madrid strikers AFTER Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of clash with Barcelona
Los Blancos have had some of the game's greatest-ever centre-forwards and, here, we've narrowed it down to just ten names
IT’S time for the biggest club game in world football: Real Madrid vs Barcelona.
El Clasico pits Spain’s two biggest clubs against one another — with any hopes of a La Liga title showdown seemingly on the line.
Barcelona could open up a sensational 14-point gap over their rivals with a win, so the onus is on the hosts to get the three points.
Arguably the two greatest players of all time in Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will go head-to-head in football’s best-ever showdown.
NOU ELITE Neymar, Rivaldo and Romario among Barcelona’s ten greatest-ever strikers AFTER Lionel Messi
But, even without the superstar duo, this fixture has been full of world class attacking talent.
Here, we’ve compiled a list of Real Madrid’s ten best strikers — and to make it a little interesting, we've omitted CR7.
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Karim Benzema: 2009-present — 185 goals
Frenchman is Real Madrid’s eighth top goal scorer of all-time.
Benzema signed in the same summer as Ronaldo and he has been forced to play second fiddle to the Portuguese superstar throughout his time at the club.
But he has won everything — including the Champions League twice — during his career in Spain.
Emilio Butragueno: 1983-1995 — 171 goals
He's unfortunate to have been around at a time when neither Real Madrid nor Spain were the truly dominant force they are now.
But Butragueno was the star of the show for club and country throughout the 1980s.
He's tenth on Real Madrid’s all-time top goal scoring list and won La Liga five times in a row, six times in all and also claimed back-to-back Uefa Cup titles.
Alfredo Di Stefano: 1953-1964 — 307 goals
Joined Real Madrid in controversial circumstances, having briefly appeared for Barcelona — but what an inspired signing he turned out to be.
Di Stefano scored in each of the first five European Cup finals, and is lauded as the man to have helped launch the competition.
He was Los Blancos’ top goal scorer for over forty years until he was surpassed by Raul.
Pedrag Mijatovic: 1996-1999 — 44 goals
Not as prolific as some of his rivals — but scored one of the most important goals in Real Madrid history.
It had been 32 years since Los Blancos had won Europe’s top prize, and were heavy underdogs against Juventus when they reached the final in 1998.
But Mijatovic scored the game’s only goal and the Spanish giants won two of the next four editions to reassert their continental dominance.
A year earlier, he had only finished behind Ronaldo in the ranking for the Ballon d’Or.
Ferenc Puskas: 1958-1966 — 242 goals
Fled the Hungarian Revolution along with many of his international team-mates to star for Real Madrid.
Puskas arrived midway through the club’s European dominance, playing part in only two of the club’s five consecutive victories — as well as the sixth title in 1966.
But he made up for lost time with a staggering four goals in the 1960 showpiece and remains the club’s fifth top goal scorer of all-time.
Raul: 1994-2010 — 323 goals
A superb centre-forward who broke Di Stefano’s Real Madrid goal scoring record.
He became the club’s youngest debutant at 17 years and 124 years, taking over from Butrageuno as the legendary team’s flagbearer.
Raul has won the Champions League three times and was the competition’s top goal scorer until being overtaken by Ronaldo and Messi — he is also the leading appearance maker.
Ronaldo: 2002-07 — 104 goals
The Brazilian goal machine also played for Barcelona, but spent more time at the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo arrived as a World Cup winner, and won a La Liga title and the Ballon d’Or in his first season.
Perhaps didn’t do himself justice in Madrid, but showed his quality on occasions — such as his hat-trick at Old Trafford — and is fondly remembered by Los Blancos fans.
Hugo Sanchez: 1985-1992 — 208 goals
Legendary Mexican striker was widely lauded for his spectacular goals as well as his prolific tally.
Sanchez was La Liga’s top goal scorer five times in six years from 1985 to 1990 and also won the European Golden Boot.
Won the Spanish top flight five seasons in a row as well as the Uefa Cup in 1986.
Real Madrid's top goal scorers of all-time
1. Cristiano Ronaldo: 2009-present — 422 (415)
2. Raul: 1994-2010 — 323 (741)
3. Alfredo Di Stefano: 1953-1964 — 308 (396)
4. Carlos Santillana: 1971-1988 — 290 (945)
5. Ferenc Puskas: 1958-1955 — 242 (262)
6. Hugo Sanchez: 1985-1992 — 208 (282)
7. Francisco Gento: 1952-1970 — 1982 (601)
8. Karim Benzema: 2009-present — 177 (353)
9. Pirri: 1964-1979 — 172 (561)
10. Emilio Butraguno: 1983-1995 — 171 (463)
Carlos Santillana: 1971-1988 — 290 goals
Real Madrid’s fourth top goal scorer of all-time.
Santillana was the club’s leading appearance maker with 778 matches until being surpassed by Manuel Sanchis in 1998.
He won La Liga a staggering nine times as well as four Copa del Rey triumphs and back-to-back Uefa Cups.
Davor Suker: 1996-99: 49 goals
Just pips Ruud van Nistelrooy to the final place on the list courtesy of the fact he won the Champions League.
Suker was part of the victorious 1998 side — the same season he finished third in the running for the Ballon d’Or.
The crafty Croatian may have flopped in the Premier League, but he was a world class footballer, who won four major honours during his time at Real Madrid.