The 6-2 El Clásico Victory at Santiago Bernabéu 2009

Lore & Background

The two clubs are among the oldest in the country, and have participated in every season of La Liga. Owing to this, as well as contesting nine finals of the Copa del Rey (in which they are the two most successful clubs), it is the third most-played football fixture in Spain, after the meetings of each with Real Madrid. The relationship has historically been fairly healthy aside from certain periods when competitiveness became hostility, such as in the early 1980s. By the turn of the 21st century, the rivalry had largely become a historical concept due to the disparity in fortunes, but frequent meetings in matches of importance, including four Copa del Rey finals and three Supercopa fixtures in a dozen seasons, restored some relevancy.

In Their Own Story

Inside the Barcelona dressing room, the air was thick with focused silence; outside, fifty thousand Bernabéu voices roared in anticipation of a classic Madrid comeback. When Ramos netted early, a collective wince traveled through Camp Nou screens worldwide. Then, Messi drifted left, dipped his shoulder past Puyol's shadow, and curled the ball into the far corner. The stadium gasped—a sound that turned to disbelief as Henry unleashed a volley from distance that rattled the crossbar. The match ceased to be a contest of two sides and transformed into a gallery of artistry. Xavi's passes landed with metronomic certainty; Iniesta spun through defenders who seemed frozen in time. As Eto'o slid home his second, the realization dawned on the Madrid bench: this wasn't a loss, it was an erasure. The final whistle on 6-2 didn't just end a game; it marked the moment Barcelona's golden era officially claimed the throne of European football.

Reader's Guide

Both clubs are owned by their socios and place great importance in developing local players through their cantera. They were among the last major clubs to adopt a commercial sponsor logo on their jerseys (Athletic in 2008, Barcelona three years later). These two clubs are the most successful in their respective regions of the Basque Country and Catalonia, and tend to identify more with regional culture than with Spain as a whole, such as Athletic's 'Basque only' player policy and Barcelona's commitment to Catalan independence and identity.

Did You Know?

• The date of the first meeting between the two clubs is a matter of debate; the 1902 Copa de la Coronación final was played between Barcelona and Club Biscaya, but the Spanish Federation disregards that tournament in its
• Barcelona suffered a 12–1 defeat at the hands of Athletic Bilbao in 1931, which still ranks as the biggest win in La Liga history.
• Athletic's Zarra set multiple goalscoring records, including most goals in the Athletic vs Barcelona fixture.