Barcelona Overtakes Real Madrid in All-Time Clásico Wins for 1st Time Since 1931
Barcelona have officially now won more Clásico encounters against Real Madrid than they have lost, coming as a result of Saturday evening's slender 1-0 victory at the Bernabeu courtesy of a single goal from Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic.
These are two of the biggest clubs in world football, but Real have historically been the more dominant of the pair, winning more La Liga titles and more European Cups over the years, and, until now, more Clásico overall games.
Head to Head Record
In all-time competitive head-to-head games, Barcelona now has 96 wins to Real's 95. There have also been 51 draws.
Barça drew level with Real's tally of wins with a 3-0 victory over their great rivals in the Copa del Rey semifinal second leg last week. That made the weekend's win at the Bernabeu the go-ahead game.
Clásico Origins
The Catalans actually tasted victory in the first ever Clásico that is recognized by most, albeit not by the Spanish federation, in the semifinal of what was known as the Copa de la Coronación - arguably a precursor to the Copa del Rey - in 1902.
FC Barcelona beat a Madrid FC side yet to be given their royal name by the Spanish king - they wouldn't become 'Real Madrid' until 1920 - by a 3-1 scoreline in that maiden meeting. Udo Steinberg and Swiss-born Barça founder Joan Gamper scored the goals for the victors that day, while Englishman Arthur Johnson netted Madrid's sole strike.
By 1931, Barça were ahead in the head-to-head after recording six victories in all competitions compared to Real's five. But, until this weekend, their 3-1 La Liga victory in August 1931 at the Catalans' old Les Corts home, was the last time they were in front.
Real proceeded to dominate the rest of the 1930s, going ahead in March 1933 and losing just once in the remainder of the decade. Barça held their own in the 1940s, but Real once again exerted dominance in the 1950s and 1960s at the same time as conquering Europe.
Barça Comeback
Barring the occasional Real win, Barça enjoyed success in the 1990s with Johan Cruyff's famed 'Dream Team'. But it is in the era of Lionel Messi that the club has come back on level terms. That has been particularly noticeable in how Barça's results at the Bernabeu have changed.
During a 56-year period between 1948 and 2004 - the year that Messi made his first team debut - Barça won just 19 of the 75 Clásico fixtures played at the Bernabeu, a win record of 19%. But between 2005 and now, just 14 years, they have won 12 of 22 Clásicos at the Bernabeu, an incredible 55% win record, and an enormous improvement.
Messi has personally faced Real 41 times in competitive fixtures, winning 19 and scoring 26 goals. He has a claim to being the greatest of all time, and his impact has certainly been felt at Camp Nou since he burst onto the scene as a teenager. And with Barça slowly getting back on terms with Real in the two decades that preceded Messi, the Argentine has been at the center of things as the head to head gap was finally closed, with the Blaugrana now edging into the lead.
