The 'Spanish War' for title glory, The Hallowed 'El Clasico' Rivalry

El Clasico is one of the most viewed matches of the football season all around the world. It is about the rivalry between two Spanish giants, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. 

Every year, fans get to see a display of emotions, drama, joy, sorrow, hatred and heated face-offs with amazing football too. 

It’s not only a match between the two teams, but also about the pride of the enormous fan bases both the teams have. 

There have been many thrilling, nerve-wracking El Clasicos, but in recent years, five matches between the two teams were a blend of everything. 

At the Camp Nou in May 2018, the game ended as a draw. However, the game was very intense with a scoreline of 2-2, that kicked off with Luis Suarez scoring the first goal in the 10th minute. 

Just four minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo equalized, courtesy of a beautiful ball from Karim Benzema. 

Lionel Messi scored a fabulous goal and got Barcelona the lead again. The rush of goals came to an end, with Gareth Bale scoring the final goal of the game, courtesy of a young Marco Asensio, who showed his impact in that season. 

There was another El Clasico game which ended 2-3 in favour of Barcelona, Real Madrid being the hosts. 

Real Madrid had a great start to the game with Casemiro scoring a goal in the 28th minute of the game. Lionel Messi came to the rescue again as Barcelona equalled the tally after five minutes. 

It was Barcelona, who took a lead in the 73rd minute because of a stunning finish from from Ivan Rakitic. 

The atmosphere was heated as the home team lost their captain, Sergio Ramos due to a red card. (Ramos is the leader too when it comes to most red cards in El Clasico). 

The match was not over though as Madrid equalized right in time in the 85th minute. It was James Rodriguez who finished a beautiful volley, surprising the opposition goalkeeper. 

But it was a match which ended with the Madrid players in anguish as Lionel Messi scored in the stoppage time of the game. 

This El Clasico was also known as the fixture which saw Messi’s ‘great shirt celebration’ at Santiago Bernabeu. 

Ronaldo’s reaction after his rival scoring also made the headlines. The game took place on 24th April 2017. 

Also, on third April 2016, a Real comeback saw the match ending with Madrid scoring 2 goals and Barcelona, 1. 

The first half was goalless, but the second-half was a nail-biting contest. The home side took the lead with Gerard Pique on the scoresheet. 

However, Karim Benzema responded quickly with an equalizer. The match-winning goal was scored by CR7 as Madrid clinched three points away from home. 

Another close El Clasico fixture was a La Liga match on the 24th March, 2014. Real were the hosts and it was a seven-goal thriller. However, it went in favour of the away team. 

Andres Iniesta scored a fantastic goal, just seven minutes into the game. It was an eye-catching assist by Lionel Messi. 

Madrid responded strongly with a Karim Benzema brace in just four minutes. The first-half ended with Lionel Messi equalizing courtesy of a penalty in the 42nd minute.

The second-half was a heated one, with all the goals scored from the spot. Cristiano Ronaldo scored one in the 55th minute, with Lionel Messi completing his hat-trick and helping Barcelona win this important fixture. 

One of the best El Clasicos was a Copa Del Rey fixture that took place on 17th April 2014. 
The match was important as it was the final too. 

The game kicked off with Angel Di Maria scoring only 11 minutes after the referee’s whistle. The Argentine's goal was equalized by Marc Bartra in the 68th minute of the game. 

The goal was a classic Xavi Hernandez assist. It was in the 85th minute that Madrid ultimately got the trophy. 

A beautiful solo goal was scored by the Wales winger, Gareth Bale. He ran past Marc Bartra, outrunning him with his super-fast sprint which was probably his best goal and a moment which all the Madrid fans cherish till today. 

The next El Clasico will take place on 18th December and will surely be a thriller as both the teams will look to take a two-point lead at the top. 

Featured Image Credits - FC Barcelona