El Clásico - Is it One-Sided?

El Clásico is a competition best known for its intensity, hostility, and tension. It is a battle between long time rivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid and often provides a stage for some of the world’s stars to shine. Generations of El Clásicos have seen the likes of FC Barcelona players like Ronaldhino, Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry, Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi, along with the likes of Real Madrid players like Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, Kaka, Ramos, and Cristano Ronaldo. It is a spectacle that never fails to impress and has given both clubs intense glory and failure. The El Clásico is played a minimum of two times a year during La Liga match play, which is the Spanish soccer league. This year, Barcelona has commanded outstanding victories of 4-0 and 5-2, historically large margins of victory for the club. It has left fans wondering if El Clásico is no longer the competitive match that it once was, but rather a training ground for FC Barcelona.

The rivalry began after the founding of the Spanish league, La Liga, in 1929, where clubs boasted some of the best players in the era like Kubala and Luis Suárez for Barca and Ferenc Puskas and Di Stefano for Real Madrid. Historically speaking, the competition has been relatively equal with Barcelona winning 101 times and Real Madrid winning 105 times, with a total of 52 draws. Barcelona has seen 63 home wins whereas Real Madrid has witnessed a total of 66 home wins. It may seem from the numbers that Real Madrid has the edge in total competitions but that does not take away from some of Barcelona’s incredible performances. In fact, Barcelona has scored five goals against Real Madrid so many times that they coined a term called “La Manita,” which means five goals. In 1974, Johan Cruyff helped Barca to a 5-0 victory against their eternal rivals, and again when Cruyff was a coach in 1994 did Barcelona beat Real Madrid 5-0. The most well known victory, however, occurred in 2011 with a 5-0 victory over Real Madrid against a team with Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, and Pepe. 

This year is on pace to be a special one, however. Forget the classics because what we are witnessing now is the makings of history. During league play in October, Barcelona won 4-0 with goals from its attacking front three of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Lamine Yamal. Real Madrid had little going offensively even with the likes of Mbappe and Vini Jr, as Barcelona’s implementation of a high defensive line to catch players offside worked to perfection. But what struck viewers most was Real Madrid’s atrocious defensive performance. It seemed they were one step behind Barcelona the entire game. So when Barcelona again beat Real Madrid 5-2 in the following months, no one was all that surprised. In fact, Madrid fans were even more horrified because the game, realistically, should have been Barcelona 10-1 if their starting keeper had not gotten a red card. Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid’s head coach, went under fire for his decision to start Tchuoameni, a defensive midfielder, in the back line, a decision that clearly did not pay off. 

Of course it may be an overreaction to say Real Madrid needs a rehaul, but their inability to stop Lewndowski, Raphinha, and the 17-year old Lamine Yamal is serious cause for concern. To let a rival team score 9 goals in the span of two games is simply frightening. Should Ancelotti be sacked? Should Madrid pick up a few defenders in the transfer window? It is up for them to decide, but action is needed quickly if they hope to have any bragging rights over their rivals in the future.

Will Frank