50 years since the 5-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu

Saturday 17 February sees the 50th anniversary of a historic win at the Santiago Bernabéu, a memorable 5-0 win against Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabéu. With the league title heading to Catalonia for the first time in 14 years and the years of Francoist dictatorship nearing their end, the win heralded feeling of joy and liberation for the fans and beyond.  Johan Cruyff recalled in an interview on Dutch television some three years later “I was surprised that instead of congratulating us on the win, people were saying thank you."

On that cold night in Madrid, Barça were runaway leaders of the league, not having lost for 16 games, and this was one of the rare games that was teleivised live to the country in those days. Barça were utterly superior, going ahead from an Asensi header on the half hour, before doubling their lead with a superb low drive from Cruyff. Asensi capped a solo run to score his second and Barça's third, then Juan Carlos blasted in the fourth before Sotil nodded in the historic fifth. 

Juan Manuel Asensi remembers

"It was a lovely game and we played really well. On the half hour I scored the first goal from a pass from Marcial. Shortly after, when Johan scored the second, we felt more secure and in control of the situation. In the second half we were on a roll and the other goals came. I scored again, and Juan Carlos and Cholito Sotil also scored. The image I remember most is the Bernabéu fans applauding us as we went into the dressing room. The Madrid players stayed on the field. Afterwards, the coach gave some of us Barça players permission to go to a pub that Benito owned in La Castellana. I remember chatting with Madrid players and fans in the pub. Those were very different times!"

17 February 1974

REAL MADRID: García Remón; Morgado, Benito, Zoco; Pirri, Rubiñán; Amancio, Velázquez, Macanás, Netzer & Aguilar (Santillana, 46’).

FC BARCELONA: Mora; Rifé, Torres, De la Cruz; Costas, Juan Carlos; Rexach, Asensi, Cruyff, Sotil & Marcial (Tomé, 70’). 

Goals: 0-1, Asensi (31’); 0-2, Cruyff (39’); 0-3, Asensi (52’); 0-4, Juan Carlos (65’); 0-5, Sotil (70’).