The Copa del Rey Semi-Finals confirmed that this season’s Clasico count will extend to six, marking a landmark in Spanish football history.
This will be the fourth time that two Spanish heavyweights playing each other for six or more times in a single season. Let’s take a lookback at the past three historical seasons where we had a season full of Clasicos.
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Why Barcelona are the Underdogs today? El Clasico Final – Spanish Super Cup
1982/83 Season
The 1982/83 season marked a historic chapter in the fierce rivalry between Catalan Kings and Los Blancos. The first of the six clashes took place on May 30, 1982, at Farid Richa, during the third-place final of the Venezuela Cup, 1982 (Pre-Season Friendly). Del Bosque’s goal in the 10th minute gave Real Madrid a slender 1-0 victory.
On November 27, 1982, Barcelona played the away Clasico in the 13th match week of the 1982/83 La Liga season. Barcelona went on to win the game 2-0, with goals from Esteban Vigo (14′) and Quini (86′). The home leg took place on March 26, 1983, during the 30th match week. Juanito gave Real Madrid the lead in the 20th minute. However, just before halftime, Maradona equalized for Barcelona while Perico Alonso scored the winner in the 77th minute, giving Barcelona a 2-1 victory.
Barcelona played their archrivals in the Copa del Rey final on June 8, 1983, following a title-winning La Liga season. Victor’s goal in the 32nd minute gave Barcelona the lead. Later, Santillana equalized for Madrid in the 50th minute, but Marcos’ 89th-minute winner made it 2-1 for Barcelona and secured their 20th Copa del Rey title.
The 1982/83 Copa de Liga season extended the Clasico tally furthermore. The first leg of the two-leg final took place at Santiago Bernabéu on June 26, 1983. Carrasco (50′) and Maradona (57′) scored two quick goals after a scoreless first half. But the joys were short-lived, as Del Bosque (63′) and Juanito (69′) squared the game as 2-2.
Three days later the teams met at Camp Nou for the second leg to decide the winner. Early goals from Maradona (19’) and Alexanko (20’) gave Barcelona a two-goal cushion. In the 84th minute, Santillana found the net for Real Madrid, but it was nothing more than a consolation goal. Barcelona went on to win the inaugural Copa de Liga with an aggregate score of 4-3.
Maradona in the CopaDelRey against Real Madrid
In 1982/83, it was Barcelona who held the upper hand with 4 wins 6 games while Diego Maradona outshined the rest with 3 goals.
2011/12 Season
Almost after three decades of Maradona’s heroics in 1982/83, two sides met in a six-game season in 2011/12. The first of them was played at Santiago Bernabéu as the first leg of the Supercopa final. In the 13th minute, Özil gave Madrid the lead. Then goals from Villa (36’) and Messi (45+1’) put Barcelona at the half time. However, in the 54th minute, Alonso equalized for Madrid, resulting in a 2-2 tie. Three days later, the second leg of the final was held at Camp Nou.
Iniesta put Barcelona ahead in the 15th minute, but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized for Madrid five minutes later. Messi restored Barcelona’s lead in the 45th minute. In the 82nd minute, with less than ten minutes remaining, Benzema equalized for Madrid once more. Messi came to the rescue yet again in the 88th minute. He scored the winner, making the score 3-2, and Barcelona won the Supercopa with a 5-2 aggregate score.
After a thrilling victory in August, the Catalans travelled to Madrid on December 10th, 2011 to play the away Clasico during match week 16 of the 2011/12 La Liga season. In the first minute of the game, Benzema gave Los Blancos the lead. But Barcelona came back to win 3-1 with goals from Alexis Sánchez (30′), Xavi (53′), and Cesc Fàbregas (66′). The home Clasico took place on April 21, 2012, during the 35th match week. In the 17th minute, Khedira opened the scoring for Madrid. Later, Alexis Sánchez equalized for Barcelona in the 71st minute, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s winner in the 73rd minute gave Los Blancos a 2-1 victory.
The Copa del Rey Quarter-Finals between two heavyweights in January 2012 were significant for Spanish football. The first leg was held on January 18, 2012, in Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo put the home team ahead in the 11th minute. In the second half, Barcelona, came back strongly to win 2-1 thanks to goals from Puyol (48′) and Abidal (76′). On January 25, 2012, the second leg was held at Camp Nou. Later in the first half, Pedro (43′) and Dani Alves (44′) scored two quick goals to give Barcelona the lead. However, goals by Cristiano Ronaldo (67′) and Karim Benzema (71′) squared the game in the second half. Barcelona advanced to the semi-finals with a 4-3 aggregate score, whereas Real Madrid got eliminated.
Once more Barcelona had the edge, winning 3 of the 6 games while Madrid won only one, despite Cristiano Ronaldo being the top scorer with 4 goals.
2012/13 Season
2012/13 season followed the same trend with superstars being stacked on both sides. The first of six encounters took place at Camp Nou on August 23, 2012, as the first leg of the Supercopa final. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for the visitors in the 55th minute, but Pedro’s goal in the 56th minute immediately equalized. Then Messi (70′) and Xavi (78′) stretched the lead to two, but Di Maria scored an important away goal in the 84th minute to keep it at 3-2. Three days later, the second leg was held at Santiago Bernabéu, where Higuain (11′) and Cristiano Ronaldo (19′) gave the hosts an early lead. Messi scored in the 45th minute, but it was only a consolation goal as Real Madrid prevailed on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate score.
2012-13 (Oct. 7), When Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo scored all the goals in a 2-2 draw.
On October 7th 2012, Camp Nou witnessed one of the most iconic scorelines in the history of football, during the 7th match week of the 2012/13 La Liga season. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring for Los Blancos in the 23rd minute, but Lionel Messi (31′) shortly equalized for Barcelona. Messi then put Barcelona ahead in the 61st minute of the second half. However, Ronaldo scored another goal in the 66th minute to square the game.
The game ended 2-2, with Messi and Ronaldo each scoring a brace. After a memorable game in Catalonia, the teams met again in Madrid on March 2nd, 2013, during the 26th Match week. Benzema took hosts the lead in the sixth minute, while Messi equalized in the 18th. After an hour of goalless play, Ramos scored the game-winning goal for Madrid in the 82nd minute. The game concluded 2-1 in Madrid’s favour.
On January 30, 2013, two teams met in the first leg of the Copa Del Rey semi-finals in Madrid. Fabregas (50′) and Varane (81′) scored for Barcelona and Madrid, respectively, as the game ended 1-1. A few weeks later, on February 26th, the second leg was played at Camp Nou. Ronaldo’s brace (13′,57′) and Varane’s goal in the 68th minute put Madrid ahead. Alba scored in the 89th minute, but it was only a consolation as Los Blancos won 3-1 and advanced to the finals on a 4-2 aggregate.
April 21 2012, Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid beat Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona at the Camp Nou 2-1
2012/13 was a season dominated by our arch rivals where they won three of the six games while we won just one.
2022/23 Season
Here in 2022/23, we are on the verge of witnessing one such special season of six Clasicos. So far, we have won two of the three encounters played, including the recently concluded Supercopa final.
First, we will be playing them in the 1st leg of the Copa Del Rey semifinals On the 2nd of March. Then on the 19th, Camp Nou will host the home Clasico in the 26th match week of La Liga. Later, on 5th April the 2nd leg of the Copa Del Rey semis will be played.
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