Top 10 clasico wins for Real Madrid in the 2000’s.

In honor of the dominant Real Madrid performance against Barcelona in the Super Cup here are some of the best wins in the 2000’s.

10. 2006-07 league match: Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
Real struggling in the league at the time, and needing a result to get in back the title race faced off against Barca. The same Barca side who had beaten Real 3-0 behind Ronaldinho’s genius. Real behind an inspired Robinho tore Barca apart, Raul scoring a goal within a few minutes and Madrid ripping Barca to pieces on the counter. Ruud Van Nilsterooy scored a brilliant volley to seal Barca’s fate. This not only gave Real a boost in the title race but the win was the reason Real that season’s league title edging Barca on head to head record after both sides were level on 76 points. A truly meaningful clasico.

9. Barcelona 0-1 Real Madrid 2007-08 league game
Real were 4 points clear atop the table in this December clash. Barca were expected to win as they had Messi, Eto’o, Henry alongside Ronaldinho. But Madrid had different plans, inspired by a brilliant Casillas who made great saves and Pepe who defended brilliantly they shutout this incredible attack. A brilliant one-two between Ruud Van Nilsterooy and Julio Baptista allowed the Brasilian to fire home a fantastic volley and help Real extend Real’s lead in the league. Real eventually won the league and finished 18 points above Barca.

8. Barca 1-3 Real Madrid 2013 Copa Del Rey semi-final
Real had drawn the first leg 1-1 and the odds were against them to reach another Copa final. However Mourinho’s men pulled off a tactical masterclass stifling Barca’s attack. Ronaldo earned a penalty and made it 1-0 within 15 minutes. In the second half Di Maria launched a rapier counter-attack that left Puyol doing a split and his shot rebounded to Ronaldo to make it 2-0. Ozil’s corner was headed in by Varane to make it 3-0. Barca were not only humiliated in the Camp Nou but Real had progressed to the final, the only blemish was a late goal by Jordi Alba to make it 3-1.

7. Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona 2012 Spanish Super Cup
Real coming off a poor defeat to Getafe had looked awful in the league. They lost the first leg 3-2 and were not expected to put up much of a fight against a Barca side who were top of the league. Real were incredible on the first 40 minutes scoring 2 goals through Higuain and Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s goal was very special back heeling the ball to himself and striking it past a despairing Valdes. Pepe had a perfectly good goal disallowed. Ronaldo got Adriano sent off and Barca played an hour with 10 men. If not Valdes Real could have routed Barca. But Messi scored a great free kick before halftime to make the score 2-1. The second half was nervy and Casillas needed to make a few big saves but Real held on to win the Super Cup.

6. Real Madrid 4-1 Barcelona 2007-08 league match
Real had clinched the title in dramatic fashion the previous match dat, which meant Barca had to do a guard of honor before the game. Eto’o and Deco were so aghast at the prospect that they got themselves suspended for the game. They were the smart ones as Real embarrassed Barca big time. Raul scored early on with a great low-shot. Robben doubled the lead with a header, off a Guti free-kick. Higuain in his first few touches added a third in the second half. Puyol conceded a penalty after an absurd handball which seemed like he was trying to protect his face. (From shame I guess) Ruud Van Nilsterooy slotted the penalty and Real were up 4-0, until Henry scored late to give Barca some consolation. This was Real’s largest victory over Barcelona since 1995 where Real beat Barca 5-0, and it marked the first time that Real had completed the series sweep of their rivals since 1983-84. A wonderful day for Madrid indeed.

5. Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid 2017 Spanish Super Cup
Real only 4 days after they conquered the UEFA Super Cup were heavy favorites to win the Spajish super cup and boy did they deliver. After a boring first-half the game exploded into life. Pique turned in a Marcelo cross for the first goal for Real. Barca pressured but missed chances,, the game looked liked it would smoothly until the ref gave a penalty after Suarez’s dive in the area. Messi converted the penalty, Barca had all the momentum until they didn’t. Cristiano Ronaldo summoned from the bench took just 12 minutes to rip Barca’s heart and stomp on it. Ronaldo after receiving a great pass from Isco took on Pique 1 on1 and struck a beauty past Ter Stegen. He should have had a penalty after a foul by Umiti but the ref sent off for diving…Well that didn’t matter as Real added the 3rd goal with a stunning goal by Marco Asensio. Barca even with the ref doing his best couldn’t beat Real at home. A remarkable win by Madrid which all but clinched the Super Cup. Even without a suspended Ronaldo in the second leg Real brushed aside a hapless Barca 2-0 to win the title 5-1 on aggregate.

4. Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona 2014 Copa Del Rey final
Real came into this game with Ronaldo unable to play due to injury. Barca were heavy favorites as they had a full strength team heading into the game. However Real took an early lead through a brilliant team goal finished off by Di Maria. Real dominated proceedings but couldn’t kill off the game. Barca leveled the scores at 1-1 through Bartra and Real were stunned. But a few minutes from extra-time a hero stepped up. Gareth Bale who had been criticized throughout the season, scored an incredible solo-goal. Bartra pushed Bale out of bounds, instead of diving he sped past him and slotted the ball through the legs of Pinto. Neymar had a chance to level at 2-2 but hit the post. Real had survived and won their 19th Copa Del Rey title.

3. Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona 2011 Copa Del Rey final
Real came into this game as underdogs and why wouldn’t they? Barca ripped them apart 5-0 in the Camp Nou and drew 1-1 at the Bernabeu 4 days earlier. Real Madrid hadn’t won a trophy in 3 years, they hadn’t beaten Barca in the last 6 meetings. This seemed like a formality for Barca. But it wasn’t. Real were excellent in the first half, wasting clear chances. Especially Ronaldo, Pepe hit the post as well. Barca were great in the 2nd half forcing Casillas to make 3 world class saves. The game went to extra-time where Ronaldo made amends for his misses by scoring a titanic header in the 102nd minute. After a give and go by Marcelo and Di Maria he headed home past Pinto. Real held on to win 1-0 and clinch their first trophy since 2008. Too bad Ramos dropped the trophy from the bus…

2. Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid 2011-12 league match
Real were holding on to a 4-point lead into the clasico, having lost the first clasico 3-1 at home they knew a defeat with of give Barca massive momentum and the head to head record in the title race. But Real played well scoring through Khedira in the first half, but when Alexis Sanchez equalized in the second-half things looked bleak. But Real roared back. A brilliant through-ball by Ozil found Ronaldo one on one with Valdes, there was only going to be one outcome: GOAL! 2-1 Real and an epic celebration to boot, calma Barca yo Estoy aqui. A gesture that wrote his name into legend. Real won the game beating Barca first time in the league in 4 years, all but won the league, and really pissed off the Cules. Which is a victory to savor.

1. Barcelona 0-2 Real Madrid 2001-02 CL Semi_finals
Game. Of. The. Century. That’s what this game was labeled. Real had a chance on its centenary to win the European Cup by beating Barca! It was a dream scenario. It was a tricky game decided by 2 counters, 2 chips. Zidane with a brilliant lob over Bonano to give Real the lead. Then in the 90th minute McManaman scored an even better chip to seal the game and tie. It was Real’s first victory in the Camp Nou in 9 years. Real would go on to win the CL final in 2002, as Barca watched from their TV sets.

2017 UEFA Super Cup preview: Manchester United vs. Real Madrid and the rivalry and bond between the two superpowers in European football

These two teams have met 10  times in Europe, Real Madrid winning 4. Manchester United winning 3 times, with 3 draws. Real knocked out United out of the Champions League 4 times, Manchester United knocked out Real once. But these two clubs don’t have a rivalry, there is a unique bond that links both clubs together.

In 1958 the Munich air disaster ravaged United’s squad decimating United’s squad. United had reached the European Cup semi-finals, after a draw in Belgrade. However a fuel stop in Germany went horribly wrong taking the lives of many United first-team players and injuring their manager Sir Matt Busby. 8 Manchester United players died on that fatal plane crash, including Duncan Edwards who some at time said he would have the best player in the world. United were in danger of folding and no longer being able to pay for the damage and possibly field a new team. Real Madrid and president Santiago Bernabeu upon hearing of this situation offered to play friendlies to keep United’s finances in order. Real did do so, offered financial help to the club, and after they won the 1958 European Cup they even offered the trophy to United as a tribute to that squad but United declined the offer. With the help of Bernabeu and Real Madrid, United built a strong team within 10 years. In 1967 Manchester United won the league again, and the next year Real and United met in the 1968 European Cup semi-final. Unlike their meeting 11 years ago where Real prevailed 5-3 over tow legs, Manchester United had the better of Real winning 1-0 at Old Tradford behind a George Best goal and fighting back from 3-1 to draw 3-3 at the Bernabeu. United were on to the European Cup final beating their old friend en route. United became the first English side to reach a European Cup final, 10 years after the horrors in Munich. Bernabeu sent a message that wished United luck and called United “friends”. It was a touching moment, and United fueled by Best, Law, and Charlton ran over Benfica 4-1 to win the European Cup. Manchester United at that point announced its arrival as a giant of the global game. Their rise from the ashes was accelerated in no small part due to the efforts of Bernabeu and Real Madrid. United and Real had a very good relationship for many years after. Until the 21st century that is.

Manchester United in the 1990”s dominated English footnall winning the Premier League 5 times in the 1990’s. When United won the treble of League, FA Cup, and  Champions League they sealed themselves to be the world’s best club side as the 2000’s arrived. Real Madrid on the other hand were in utter chaos, after a lost decade where the only solace was a remarkable Champions League win over Juventus in 1998, Real were desperate straits in early 2000. Suffering from debts, infighting, players having terrible attitudes (Anelka was suspended 40 days by Del Bosque at the beginning of the year), and struggles on the pitch, it looked like Real were a club teetering on the brink. When Real drew Manchester United in the Champions League not may expected Real to advance. Why would they? Manchester United were current European and World champiuons, were leading the PL with ease, while Real were struggling hovering in the UEFA Cup places. The first-leg ended 0-0 which was seen as s great result for United, after all Old Tradford was a fortress and Real was struggling away from home. However in one of the great performances in Champions Legaue history a Redondo and Raul inspired Real Madrid defeated Manchester United 3-2. It was stunning Real raced to a 3-0 lead behind an own goal from Keane, and two goals from Raul, United responded with Beckham and Scholes but it was too little too late. Real were in another CL semi-final, and United were stunned. Real went on to defeat Bayern in the semi-finals, and thump Valencia 3-0 to win their eighth Champions League and restore Real’s place as the dominant force in Europe. Ask any Madrid fan the most memorable game in that CL run, and the answer will be the same: THAT NIGHT IN MANCHESTER. It’s one of Real’s most memorable games and led Real to becoming more stable financially and successful sporting wise. The next 3 years Real won 2 La Ligas and 1 more CL to reclaim the mantle of the world’s best club side. United once again were eliminated from the Champions League by Real in 2003, losing 3-1 in Madrid, and winning 4-3 in Manchester to lose  6-5 over two legs. However Ronaldo’s performance in the second-leg was a sight to behold, as he scored a stunning hat-trick to seal Real’s progress to the semi-finals. But that would be Real’s last semi-final appearance in 8 years as the club’s fortunes declined thanks to Perez’s flawed transfer policy and an unbalanced squad. Barcelona took over and became the dominant force in Spain for a while. As for United they won the league in 2003 but went 3 seasons without winning the league, but by 2007 they had built a great team around a certain Portuguese star.

United’s rise in 2007 can be pinned into Cristiano Ronaldo’s evolution to a world class player. He helped United win 3 straight PL titles from 2007-2009, get to the semi-finals of the CL every year for those years. But it was in 2008 where Ronaldo and United shone, behind his 42 goals United won the League and CL double, Ronaldo being the top-scorer in England, Europe, and the Champions League. Real began to make overtures about Ronaldo in  the summer of 2008, United to refused to sell Ronaldo. The once good relationship between both clubs began to sour, and Madrid’s pursuit of CR7 was made even worse when manager Sir Alex Ferguson quipped that he wouldn’t sell “a virus” to Real. United kept Ronaldo until 2009, but Madrid eventually got their man signing him for a world-record fee at the time. Manchester United were along with Barca the 2 best teams in the world, but after Ronaldo left the club declined only winning 2 league titles since 2009. Real on the other hand won 3 Champions Leagues since Ronaldo arrived and a re currently Spanish, European, and World champions. The tide turned again.

What was once a friendly rivalry became a true hate-filled rivalry, The 2013 meeeting in the Champions League saw Real advance 3-2 on aggeregate after a controversial Nani red card saw Real overturn a 1-0 deficit to beat United once again at Old Tradford. United fans feel cheated by that game and hurt by Ronaldo scoring 2 goals to knock them out. Real’s pursuit of David De Gea only stirs up the rivalry, with the feeling by many United fans that their club declined rapidly since Sir Alex’s departure. Jose Mourinho the ex-Real Madrid manager is the one tasked with making United great again. But the measuring stick for United as it was in 1968 is their “old friend”. Real have the best squad in the world led by Ronaldo, but supported well by wonderful midfielders like Modric, Kroos, isco, and a big-game player like Sergio Ramos. United have De Gea maybe the best goalkeeper in the world, Pogba a terrific midfielder, and Lukaku a young but hungry Belgian striker. The talent may not match up entirely, but United wasn’t favored in 1968 and they won. Madrid wasn”t favored in 2000 and won. Both of these teams use each other as measuring sticks for their progress. What looks grim for United could be the start of a beautiful success under Mourinho, and fro Zidane it’s a chance to win another major trophy. Mourinho never won a UEFA Super Cup, Real have never defeated an English side in a European final. Real would be the frist side to win 3 UEFA Super Cups in 4 years, United would be the first Europa League winner in 5 years tow win the Super Cup. There’s a lot on the line in this game, but that’s to be expected when Manchester United face Real Madrid. Two superpowers ready to see who claims their place on the throne of world football.