Hundred of White Classics

Madrid reached the first hundred Clásicos won against Barcelona in Arabia after defeating the Catalans 3-2 in a highly disputed match. The madridistas achieved it in the 248th match they have had, they have and will have in future times with the Blaugrana, and they have achieved it in the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup that was held in Riyadh, the fifth city to host an official meeting of these characteristics.

Almost 120 years have passed since the first confrontation between madridistas and culés. It was in the so-called Football Contest (also called the Coronation Cup), antecedent to the current Spanish Cup (Championship), held in 1902. Then the barcelonistas prevailed in the Hipódromo de la Castellana (where the Nuevos Ministerios area is currently located) by 1-3, with goals from Steinberg (two) and Hans Gamper, this one from a penalty. On the Madrid side, the goal was scored by Arthur Johnson. Since then, played with great sportsmanship according to the chronicles of the time, until now, rivalry is the common denominator in these confrontations.

It was not until the Clásico number 17 that Madrid got ahead of the Catalans. Until then both teams had won six Classics each, with four draws (the first of all was in 1916 and ended 6-6!). That Classic belongs to the 1932-33 League, and was played on March 5, 1933. The whites won 2-1 with two goals from … José Samitier, the former Barcelona player, who took revenge on his departure a year earlier. Of course, the second goal was controversial, since for his former teammates, he was in an irregular position at the time of scoring.

The whites had their biggest difference in victories in 1965, when they prevailed at the Camp Nou and in the League (1-2, goals from Pirri and Serena). It was the 90th showdown, and the madridistas reached 48 wins, by 32 for the Catalans (with 10 draws). Since then, the Catalans have been cutting such a difference throughout the decades of the 70s, 80s and 90s. In the 70s (1970-1979) they were imposed in nine Classics by seven of their rivals (with another seven equaled in 23 games) ; in the 1980s they beat the whites 14 times, who did so 10 times (in 31 games). In the 90s they repeated a figure: 14 culés triumphs, for 10 madridistas and seven draws in 31 duels.

It would not be until the decade formed between the 2010-11 League until 2018-19 when Barcelona gave the overtaking to this duel: throughout that decade, madridistas and azulgranas met 36 times, with 17 victories from Barcelona to 10 madridistas: that meant that in March 2019, after winning in the league at the Bernabéu, the Catalans were ahead again: 96 wins to 95 for the madridistas. But nevertheless, Since then, the whites do not know what it is to lose to Barcelona: they have chained a draw and four consecutive victories, which has allowed them to reach the semifinal of the Super Cup with 99 wins, and now, after defeating them, reach the first hundred Clásicos won …