The first Clásico of the season is just around the corner and both Barça and Real Madrid are finishing everything that has to do with the duel that will face them next Sunday. Several reasons make this one in particular very special : the first without Messi or Ramos, Ansu Fati and Vinícus as stars or the return of the public to the stands.
This will be match number 246 (98 for Real Madrid, 94 for Barça and 52 draws) in which both teams face each other throughout history and so many games give a series of curiosities and data that we review to make the game more enjoyable. waiting.
The proper names of the Classics
Sergio Ramos and Messi have been two of the undoubted protagonists of the last games, but not only because they were the last captains of both teams, but also because they were the two players with the most appearances in a Classic . Both tie at 45 and will not be able to raise this figure since this summer, curiously, the two chips for PSG . Only Busquets challenges this brand today with the 40 games that the midfielder adds.
In the case of the Argentine, he can boast of another record that seems difficult to achieve, the one with the most goals . In the almost 50 Classics that he played, Messi scored 26 goals , with an average of 0.58 goals / game. In ‘active’, Benzema is the player with the most goals who will be next Sunday with 10 in 36 games.
For his part, Paco Gento is the player who has won the most times in history, having won in 21 of the 42 games he played against Barça. Also in Real Madrid was his ‘alter ego’, Ramos, the footballer who has lost the Clásico the most times with 19.
Coaches in the spotlight
Both Koeman and Ancelotti face negative stats in Sunday’s showdown that they will both want to break. Starting with the Dutchman, if Barça lose, they will become the worst Barça coach in the Classics , having lost in their first three games against Madrid, something that Patrick O’Connell only achieved before between 1935 and 1940 (with the Civil War of via).
For his part, Ancelotti will try to cut his drought as a visitor against the Catalans. With him on the bench, Real Madrid have not won any of their five away games in all competitions. Only Leo Beenhakker lost in his first four visits to the Camp Nou, while the Italian has two.
The last Classic with an audience
A year and a half later, the public will return to a Classic , but the panorama has changed a lot since then. Beyond the masks and other restrictions that may exist, in football terms the two teams have undergone changes, especially Barça, which only keeps half of the players who played that match.
Thus, Messi , Griezmann , Rakitic , Arturo Vidal, Semedo or Arthur are the footballers who no longer wear the Barça colors, in addition to a Luis Suárez who missed that match in March 2020 due to injury. On the part of the madridistas, only Ramos and Varane will be the absences of that time.
13 years since the last white win
The scorer facet has not been the most prominent of Real Madrid in recent years, which since the 2007/2008 season has not beaten its eternal rivals by three goals or more . Quite the opposite of what has been seen in recent years at Barça, precisely since the Messi era . Since that 4-1 in the hallway at the Bernabéu, the Catalans have celebrated several very bulky results: 2-6 (2009), 5-0 (2010), 0-4 (2015), 0-3 (2017) or 5- 1 (2018) .
However, this game seems propitious for Real Madrid to break this bad “streak” , taking advantage of the weakest Barcelona (especially in defense) in recent years … although Madrid’s attack is not the best it has had .
Madrid’s squad, 100 million more expensive
According to the appraisal offered by the specialized portal Transfermarkt, the white team surpasses the Catalans in terms of the value of the workforce. The club collects a value of 672 million according to the latest update, with De Jong as its most valuable player with 90 million , which also is the most expensive player in the Classic. Pedri complete the podium with 80 and Ansu Fati with 60.
For its part, Real Madrid adds a total of 756 million of staff value, with more compensated figures in terms of numbers. In this way, Casemiro is the most valuable footballer of the team with 70 million , followed by the 65 of Fede Valverde and the 60 of Courtois.
