Nine months and one day after beating a Barcelona side that looked like it would be the first team to win back-to-back Champions League titles, Real Madrid return to Catalonia’s church of football today.
The El Clasico on April 2 – a 2-1 Real victory – ended a historic run of 39 matches unbeaten for Barcelona and set into motion a series of events that denied Barca the possibility of a double-treble. After that springtime shock result, Barcelona went on to lose three of their next four matches and crashed out of the Champions League in stunning style.
Seemingly, Real Madrid lifted the cloak of invincibility off Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar and Luis Enrique’s Catalans.
And in truth, Barcelona have never been the same.
Entering today’s global event, which is watched by roughly two million viewers in the United States alone, the two clubs have reversed roles since their last meeting. This time, Real Madrid enter El Clasico on a 31-match unbeaten run, while Barcelona are struggling. Los Blancos lead their eternal rivals by six points after starting the La Liga campaign unbeaten through the first 13 rounds.
That undefeated streak jumps to 21 matches across all competitions for the 2016-17 campaign, as Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane continues to prove his first season in charge was no fluke. A win today would lead Real Madrid to a nine-point lead over Barcelona in La Liga.
From the time Real Madrid last played Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo and company have only suffered one defeat. That loss came against Wolfsburg in Germany only four days after the April 2 El Clasico at the Camp Nou, and Madrid quickly avenged that result with a 3-0 victory over the German side a week later. So 33 matches later, Real Madrid have already spoken for their lone loss.
Already, the 2016-17 campaign has featured three defeats for the Blaugrana, including a stunning come-from-behind victory by Manchester City in the Champions League.
One can count four losses if the Catalan Super Cup is included, though that game has no bearing on La Liga, the Copa del Rey or the Champions League.
