This Saturday the world will witness one of the biggest El Clasico of the season, if not the century. For the past 10 decades, there’s been exceptional play and moments that will stay in everyone’s memories forever.
Here are 10 landmarks in the history of El Clasico, from the 1920s to the 2010s:
1920s: The first ever LaLiga El Clásico
The first LaLiga Clasico took place in February 1929. Just two weeks into the first-ever LaLiga season. Barcelona’s Les Corts stadium was packed with confident fans that day, but they left disappointed as Real Madrid scored either side of half time and hang on for a 2-1 inaugural win. Barça won the reverse fixture 1-0 – and the first-ever LaLiga title – but the first ElClasico win went to the capital.
1930s: Real Madrid run up the biggest victory in LaLiga El Clásico history
The 1934-35 El Clásico fixtures were remarkable. Barça won 5-0 at Les Corts before Real Madrid turned it around with an incredible 8-2 win at Chamartin. The home side went 5-1 up after just half an hour, prompting Barça’s Hungarian coach Ferenc Plattko to ask the ball to be changed at the break as he feared foul play!
It made no difference as the Real Madrid side racked up the biggest ever LaLiga ElClasico win.
1940s: The birth of El Clásico as we know it today?
It could be said that the birth of the intense El Clásico rivalry we know today was born in the 1940s. There were hot-headed encounters between the two sides. Among them was the highest scoring draw ever registered between these two sides: a 5-5 draw at Les Corts in 1943.
1950s: El Clásico becomes Spain’s first televised football match
On February 15th, 1959 as El Clásico became the first football match ever televised on Spanish television. There was a pre-game scramble for the latest technology. TV sets quickly sold out across both cities. Real Madrid, featuring the great Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas, won 1-0 that day at the Bernabeu. But were unable to prevent Barcelona to win their first LaLiga title in seven years.