Barcelona and Real Madrid approach the first El Clasico of the LaLiga season with different pressing concerns.
The week of the clash sees Barca topping the table but worrying about a short-term future without star striker Lionel Messi, who has broken his arm and will miss a number of key fixtures.
Julen Lopetegui’s struggling Real, meanwhile, have lost three of their last four league games and trail the Catalans by four points.
Here, Press Association Sport looks back at some previous classic encounters between the clubs.
Real Madrid 5 Barcelona 0 – LaLiga, January 7, 1995
Barcelona 3 Real Madrid 3 – LaLiga, March 10, 2007
Real Madrid 4 Barcelona 1 – LaLiga, May 7, 2008
Barcelona 5 Real Madrid 0 – LaLiga, November 29, 2010
Real Madrid 2 Barcelona 3 – LaLiga, April 23, 2017
LIONEL MESSI IS NOT HUMAN pic.twitter.com/FbDrM3pi2d
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) April 23, 2017
The balance of power had shifted in a campaign where Real secured a LaLiga and Champions League double. Yet, once again, it was Messi who would hog the headlines in their meeting with Barca. Having not scored in six Clasicos, Messi levelled following Casemiro’s opener. Ivan Rakitic put the visitors ahead once again only for James Rodriguez to reply for 10-man Real with five minutes remaining. Yet Messi once more delivered with a stoppage-time strike, his 500th for the club, and one that was celebrated by him holding up the name on the back of his shirt to the home support.
