Tagged the most exciting battle since the days of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the Spanish La Liga, fans eagerly anticipate a box office showdown at 7 pm local time.
Both teams are coming into the big game with boosted morals after winning their midweek UEFA Champions League matches convincingly and dramatically.
Los Blancos staged a remontada from two goals down in the first half to win 5-2 against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. All five goals were scored in a much improved second-half performance.
The next day, Wednesday, October 23, 2024, the Blaugrana inflicted revenge on their nemesis Bayern Munich. Hansi Flick’s side handed his former team a 4-1 defeat, marking the first win in seven Champions League matches against Bayern Munich.
Leading the charge in both games were the “Samba boys from Brazil, Vinicius Junior and Raphinha, both netting a hat-trick. But can they come to the party again tonight?
Can they make history to join the legendary players who have dominated and owned this battle for years? And at the end of their careers, where will they be in the top scorers list in El Clasico history?
Before answering that, here is what the top five leading scores in El Clasico look like.
Top 5 scorers in El Clasico
5.Raul
Raul was the player with the most goals in El Clasico between 2000 and 2010. During his 37 outings versus Barca, the renowned Spanish attacker averaged 0.41 goals per game and scored 15 goals.
In September 1995, he scored his first-ever El Clasico goal, and in May 2008, he scored his last.
4.Karim Benzema
In his final season in Spain, Benzema scored against Barcelona, moving him one goal ahead of Raul on the all-time El Clasico scoring record.
Benzema not only scored 16 goals in the match but also contributed 11 assists to his teammates.
3.Alfredo Di Stefano
Di Stefano was the player who scored the most El Clasico goals in the 20th century, but he has since been overtaken. He scored 18 goals against Barcelona and is considered by many as the greatest player in Real Madrid history.
2.Cristiano Ronaldo
Di Stefano's El Clasico record of 18 goals in the same number of games was matched by Cristiano Ronaldo. It just so happens that during their 30 El Clasico appearances, they each scored 18 goals.
Ronaldo has scored more goals against Barcelona than any other player in the twenty-first century.
1.Lionel Messi
Messi is the all-time leading scorer in the history of El Clasico with 26 goals in 45 matches.
The Argentine has scored more goals against Real Madrid than any other player in the club’s history.
Can Vinicius Junior and Raphinha make the top five or even top 10?