85 years unbeaten as leaders in the Clásico

Barça face Real Madrid at the Camp Nou on Sunday in what promises to be one of the most gripping Clásico encounters for many years. The Catalans have the chance to go four points clear of their rivals at the top of the table, while Madrid are looking to recover a first position they held for much of the campaign.

But history is on Barça’s side. Whenever they have faced Real Madrid as leaders, the results have tended to go their way, and they haven’t lost under such conditions for 85 years, the last and only case being way back in 1929/30 at the old Les Corts stadium. They have won all but three of the fifteen games since then, and the others all ended in draws.

Memorable games

Some of these games have gone down in history as the most spectacular and passionate affairs in club history. Who could forget such games as the 3-1 win in 1981/82, with a brace from Quini (3-1), Gary Lineker’s hat-trick to win 3-2 in 1986/87, or the 3-0 wins in 1997/98, 1998/99 (featuring two goals from Luis Enrique) and 2004/05, with goals from Eto’o and Ronaldinho?

Three games with one-point lead

Barça have entertained Real Madrid while leading them by one point on three occasions in the past. In 1944/45, they thumped the all-whites 5-0 at Les Corts, and also won in 1981/82 and 1986/87 (3-1 and 3-2).

Here is a summary of all of the previous meetings: