El Clasico Tied at 106 Wins Each Ahead of Sunday Meeting
Barcelona and Real Madrid have split their 200-plus meetings since the rivalry began in 1902.
By Chioma Kim ·
Barcelona host Real Madrid on Sunday in a fixture played under the Spanish name El Clasico, a meeting that draws millions of viewers and has included Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, Luis Suarez, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha line up for Barcelona, while Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr play for Real.
The rivalry dates to 1902. The two clubs are level with 106 wins apiece, and a victory on Sunday would give one side the lead in the series. Three points are on offer for the winner.
Past meetings have produced results with title consequences. On April 23, 2017, Barcelona won 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu after Messi scored on the final kick for his 500th Barcelona goal; Real finished the season champion by three points. On March 10, 2007, Messi, then 19, scored his first career hat-trick to earn a 3-3 draw at Camp Nou for a Barcelona side reduced to 10 men, and Real took the title that year on head-to-head record after both clubs finished on 76 points. Real won 4-2 at home on April 10, 2005, with Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, Raul and Michael Owen scoring, though Barcelona claimed the league by three points. Barcelona beat Real 6-2 at the Bernabeu on May 2, 2009, with Henry, Messi, Puyol and Pique on the scoresheet, and won the league by nine points. Real took the Copa del Rey final 1-0 in extra time on April 20, 2011, after Ronaldo headed in a Di Maria cross; it was the club's first trophy under Jose Mourinho and first domestic cup since 1993.
Barcelona went top briefly after the 2017 win, and Real Madrid went on to win the La Liga title that season by three points.
The match kicks off on Sunday at Barcelona's home ground.
Source: Al Jazeera
