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On Sunday evening in Spain, passion will once again rise, the sky and the earth will mix, the streets will empty, life will be forgotten and move to the stadiums or at least to the television screen: in the capital Madrid, the match will take place at the "Santiago Bernabeu" stadium that hardly anyone is indifferent to - "El Clasico".
On the occasion of the upcoming match, as has become customary, EuroFootball.com offers visitors to remember the seven most memorable duels between Madrid's "Real" and "Barcelona".
1973-74 "Real" 0 - 5 "Barcelona"
Johan Cruyff made a real revolution at "Barca", a team that had not won the Spanish Champions Cup for 14 years, and crushed "Real" in their own fortress - the "Santiago Bernabeu" stadium. To this day, this defeat is considered one of the most shameful losses for "Real" at home.
In that match, the Dutchman led the guests 2-0 with a great solo performance - almost the entire length of the field, defeating several "Real" defenders. That season, "Barca" won the champions' title with five rounds left.
1984-85 "Real" 0 - 3 "Barcelona"
In the ninth decade of the 20th century, a real British revolution took place in the Barcelona team - the new coach Terry Venables brought in the Scot Steve Archibald, the English national team member Gary Lineker, and the Welsh Mark Hughes.
"Archigoles" S. Archibald shone in those matches, scoring the first goal and contributing to the other two. Several seasons later, S. Archibald scored three goals against "Real" in the 3-2 match at the "Nou Camp" stadium.
1993-94 "Barcelona" 5 - 0 "Real"
In those matches, the Brazilian Romario, at the peak of his career, scored a hat-trick, and "Barcelona", led by former star Johan Cruyff, crushed the "Royal" club at the "Nou Camp" stadium.
That season, "Barca" won their fourth consecutive Spanish champions' title, but should be grateful to "Deportivo" defender, Serbian Miroslav Djukic, who missed the last-minute penalty of eleven meters against "Valencia".
1994-95 "Real" 5 - 0 "Barcelona"
It seems that in these matches, "Real" settled scores with "Barca" for losing at the "Nou Camp" stadium the previous season. Perhaps in part also for the 1973-74 season.
The Chilean Ivan Zamorano scored a hat-trick, while Emilio Amavisca and Luis Enrique, who later moved to "Barca" and became favorites among the Catalonian club fans, added one goal each. "Real" won the championship ahead of La Coruna's "Deportivo".
2003-2004 "Barcelona" 1 - 2 "Real"
The result speaks for itself as the match was truly impressive. This game was perhaps the toughest for the Portuguese "Barcelona" goalie Luis Figo, who a few years earlier moved to "Real" from... "Barcelona". Everyone has probably heard stories about the "Judas betrayal", the mobile phones thrown on the pitch, and even a pig's head.
Of course, these matches were not pleasant for Figo - he was booed every time he touched the ball. However, the last word in this match was given to Luis Figo, who helped his team achieve the first "Real" victory at the "Nou Camp" stadium in 19 years. "Barca" retaliated against their opponents later that season by beating the Royal Club at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium with the same score.
2004-2005 "Barcelona" 3 - 0 "Real"
"Barca" demonstrated the capabilities of their excellent, precisely operating attacking machine and forced many fans to remember "total football".
Former "Real" player, Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o, perhaps offended by the Royal club's unwillingness to keep him, took advantage of the gaps in "Real" defense and, after overcoming Roberto Carlos and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, scored the first goal.
The result was doubled by Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst after a pass from Ronaldinho, and the main mechanism of the "Barca" attack, Brazilian Ronaldinho, successfully converted the penalty earned by S. Eto'o into the final point of the match.
2005-2006 "Real" 0 - 3 "Barcelona"
Those who watched the "El Clasico" of the past season witnessed something very rare in the encounters between these clubs - the two excellent goals scored by the Brazilian Ronaldinho were applauded not by anyone else, but by the fans of the Royal Club themselves.
The first goal in those matches was scored by the Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o, who was once rejected by "Real", and later two goals were added by the aforementioned Ronaldinho, expertly breaking through on the left side and defeating "Real" goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
