A rarity. Only in this way can it be described that the top scorer in the history of the Classics has five Barça-Madrid without scoring. With 26 goals (and 14 assists) in 43 games against Madrid (19 wins, 11 draws, 13 losses), Leo Messi was left dry on May 6, 2018. That day, Barça drew two against Madrid in an inconsequential Classic. The Catalans were already League champions and, despite staying with ten before the break due to Sergi Roberto's expulsion, they got ahead 2-1 thanks to a goal from the Argentine (preceded by a foul by Suárez against Varane in the pre-season VAR). That season ended badly for Barça after the disaster in Rome. And from there, Messi no longer scored against Madrid. Curiously, Messi has not marked the eternal rival since Cristiano left for Juventus.
Especially tough was the last Clásico for Messi, played just a couple of weeks before the state of alarm was decreed in Spain. Frustrated, he saw a yellow card for a tough tackle on Casemiro and lost a hand-to-hand at speed with Marcelo in which he showed that he was not physically at the top. He was already coming from a gray match in Naples. In Madrid he confirmed his drought. Also of assists. Messi has given 14 passes on goal in the Classics, but in the last five games he has not been able to express that quality either.
Messi likes nothing more than scoring against Madrid since that hat-trick of the 2006-07 season that made him an idol of Barcelona forever, whatever happened. Messi soon understood what it means to play against Madrid in the city and the passion was increased when the rivalry became more acute when Mourinho arrived, who had accused him of being an actor at Stamford Bridge after that famous entry by Del Horno in the second round of Champions League final in 2006. Messi has had wild times against Madrid, he even scored another hat-trick in the 2013-14 season and was a real martyrdom in games like 2-6 or in the season's Super Cup 2011-12 (two goals in three games). His last great Classic was that of the 2016-17 season, when he showed his shirt to the Bernabéu on a wonderful Sant Jordi day in Barcelona.
But now the scenario is different. Placed back in the false nine position (although in Getafe he played on the right) to optimize efforts and balance the team defensively, Messi has started the season by leaving his usual records. He has only scored two goals (Villarreal and Ferencvaros), both from penalties. But his feelings, little by little, go to more. Tuesday's slalom against the Hungarians in the play in which he caused the penalty excited some Catalans who still believe that Messi can give Barça another year of glory before his probable goodbye.
They are curious to know what plan Koeman has for Messi this Saturday and what plan Messi has for Madrid. The Dutchman saw the Argentine fresh and happy with two extremes that open the field (Ansu and Trincao) and Coutinho, with whom he gets on well, in the middle. Few know football better than the Argentine and the possible weaknesses of Madrid, so it is possible that he will agree on the strategy of the game with the coach. Koeman knows well how that was done in Cruyff's time before the big games in El Montanyá, so he will surely have no problem asking the Argentine what his vision is and where to hurt Madrid. Everything to win and to break that strange drought.