Barcelona and Real Madrid tied at 106 wins before Sunday match
Sunday's fixture at Camp Nou offers the first chance for one club to claim the all-time lead in the rivalry dating back to 1902.
By Harper Hassan ·
Barcelona will host Real Madrid on Sunday for a match that could break a century old deadlock. The two clubs are currently tied with 106 wins each in their history. A result on Sunday would give one side the edge in all time statistics.
The rivalry, known as El Clasico, began in 1902. It has featured generations of stars. Past matches included Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, and Luis Suarez for Barcelona. Real Madrid lineups have included David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, and more recently Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr.
One of the most notable recent meetings occurred on April 23, 2017. Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Sergio Ramos was sent off for a tackle on Messi. James Rodriguez equalized in the 85th minute, but Messi scored with the final kick. That goal marked his 500th for Barcelona.
In March 2007, the teams drew 3-3 at Camp Nou. A 19 year old Messi scored his first career hat trick. Barcelona played with 10 men for parts of the game. Ruud van Nistelrooy scored twice for Real Madrid. Messi equalized in the first minute of stoppage time to save a point. Both clubs finished that season with 76 points, with Real Madrid taking the title on head to head record.
Real Madrid won 4-2 at home on April 10, 2005. Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, Raul, and Michael Owen scored for the visitors. Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho scored for Barcelona. Despite the loss, Barcelona won the league that season by three points.
On May 2, 2009, Barcelona won 6-2 at the Bernabeu. Thierry Henry scored twice. Messi, Carles Puyol, and Gerard Pique also found the net. Real Madrid scored through Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Ramos. Barcelona won the league that year by nine points.
The Copa del Rey final on April 20, 2011, ended 1-0 to Real Madrid in extra time. The match was goalless for 90 minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo headed in a pass from Angel Di Maria to win the cup. Di Maria was later sent off. It was Real Madrid's first domestic cup since 1993 and their first trophy under manager Jose Mourinho.
Source: Al Jazeera
