Barcelona’s fortunes in El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu have shifted since the consolidation of Lionel Messi.
For Barcelona, playing at the Santiago Bernabeu used to mean an almost automatic defeat. Sure, they had the occasional win here and there. Perhaps one of the most famous being the night Ronaldinho received a standing ovation from the Real Madrid faithful.
But most of the time it meant the Catalans were in for a tough, and at times, humiliating nights. None more so than in 2008 during Frank Rijkaard’s last season as manager. That was the 4-1 defeat in which Barcelona were also forced to do a “pasillo” for Real Madrid.
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However, things changed once Pep Guardiola took over and Lionel Messi became the player we know today.
During Guardiola’s tenure, he never lost a game at the Bernabeu which also included a 2-0 win in the Champions League.
Running through the list of Pep, Tito Vilanova, Tata Martino, Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde, Barcelona have lost only twice in that span.
According to Mundo Deportivo, since 2008, the two sides have played eleven matches with Barcelona winning eight, losing two, and drawing one. They also outscored Madrid 29-14.
Last season under Valverde, Barcelona beat Madrid twice in the second-half of the season. In the process, they knocked them out of the Copa del Rey and all but killed any hope they had of winning the league.
The “Messi Era,” as some have dubbed it, has provided quite a bit of memorable victories in the last decade or so. Here, we’ll count down some of the most memorable Barcelona wins in recent history.