The 238th installment of El Clasico will have a noticeably different feel to it, as Spain’s marquee match between Real Madrid and Barcelona won’t feature the era-defining talents of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time in over a decade.
Ronaldo, of course, is plying his trade in Italy with Juventus, while Messi misses the encounter through injury after breaking his arm last weekend.
Despite the focus of the match shifting away from the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry for the first time since 2007, there’s every reason to believe that the same level of intensity and hatred will be present when they take the pitch for the latest edition of one of the most anticipated matches on the football calendar.
Here’s a look at the best matches between the two before Messi and Ronaldo dominated the narrative:
7. 1974: Real Madrid 0, Barcelona 5 – Cruyff masterclass
Johan Cruyff exceeded expectations when he got his first taste of El Clasico. The legendary Dutch playmaker helped Barcelona snap a 14-year winless run in El Clasico with a truly dominant performance that saw him score once and provide …read more