Real Madrid vs Barcelona history: Head to head and finals of El ...

Matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona are always the biggest dates on the Spanish football calendar with the two grandest clubs in La Liga battling out some memorable contests over the years.

After two meetings already in 2022/23, in La Liga and Spanish Supercopa action, Barcelona and Madrid face off in the Copa del Rey semifinals. 

Despite no longer boasting the iconic Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo matchup, the fixture still includes some of the biggest names in world football.

The two clubs have met each other in 252 competitive matches, with Real Madrid winning 101, Barcelona 99, and the teams sharing the spoils 52 times. Former Barca star Messi is the all-time highest goalscorer in El Clasico's history and the Argentina great is level with Sergio Ramos and Sergio Busquets in appearances (45) with the latter set to break the record this season.

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El Clasico head-to-head record

Here, we take a look at all the records of this classic encounter between the two Spanish giants.

Carlo Ancelotti vs Xavi head to head

Xavi finds himself battling against Ancelotti in the dugout following his return to Barcelona in 2021, with Ancelotti making his own La Liga comeback in the same year.

As a player, Xavi faced Ancelotti teams three times in his early career as the fulcrum of Barcelona's midfield against AC Milan. They met again as Ancelotti moved on to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Xavi lost just one of his four La Liga meetings with Ancelotti during the Italian's first spell in Madrid from 2013 to 2015, but he was on losing side in the 2014 Copa del Rey final — the last time Los Blancos won the trophy.

It finished one La Liga win each as they faced off as rival coaches for the first time in 2021/22, but Ancelotti sealed the title. Madrid beat Barca in the Supercopa de Espana final last season, but Xavi turned the tables in the 2023 final.

Who has won the most El Clasico matches — Real Madrid or Barcelona?

Competition	Matches	Real Madrid wins	Barcelona wins	Draws
La Liga	185	77	73	35
Copa del Rey	36	12	16	8
Copa de La Liga	6	0	2	4
Supercopa de Espana	16	9	5	2
Copa de la Coronacion	1	0	1	0
Champions League	8	3	2	3
Total	252	101	99	52

Who are the top goalscorers in El Clasico?

Player	Club	Goals
Lionel Messi	Barcelona	26
Alfredo Di Stefano	Real Madrid	18
Cristiano Ronaldo	Real Madrid	18
Raul Gonzalez	Real Madrid	15
Cesar Rodriguez	Barcelona	14
Francisco Gento	Real Madrid	14
Ferenc Puskas	Real Madrid	14

Who are the players with the most appearances in El Clasico?

Player	Club	Appearances
Sergio Busquets	Barcelona	46
Lionel Messi	Barcelona	45
Sergio Ramos	Real Madrid	45
Francisco Gento	Real Madrid	42
Manuel Sanchis	Real Madrid	42
Xavi Hernandez	Barcelona	42

What are the biggest wins in El Clasico history?

Date	Match	Competition
June 19, 1943	Real Madrid 11–1 Barcelona	Copa del Rey
Feb. 3, 1935	Real Madrid 8–2 Barcelona	La Liga
Sep. 24, 1950	Barcelona 7–2 Real Madrid	La Liga
May 19, 1957	Barcelona 6–1 Real Madrid	Copa del Rey
Sep. 18, 1949	Real Madrid 6–1 Barcelona	La Liga

Which players have scored the most hat-tricks in El Clasico?

Player	Club	No. of hat-tricks
Santiago Bernabeu	Real Madrid	2 (Both in 1916 Copa del Rey)
Jaime Lazcano	Real Madrid	2 (1929/30 La Liga & 1934/35 La Liga)
Ferenc Puskas	Real Madrid	2 (1962/63 La Liga & 1963/64 La Liga)
Lionel Messi	FC Barcelona	2 (2006/07 La Liga & 2013/14 La Liga)