What was the last Barcelona vs. Real Madrid before the appearance of Lionel Messi?

Although it is hard to admit, we will have a very strange feeling this Sunday when the Barcelona face the Real Madrid at the Camp Nou for LaLiga. It will be the first Spanish classic after the departure of Lionel Messi after 17 years at Barza. The Argentine marked a before and after in the culé team that is now writing a story without its greatest idol.

In August of this year, Lionel Messi decided to leave Barcelona product of the financial crisis that was lived in the club culé and by the bad administrative management. Now his present is in the PSG with which he is getting ready to play the classic against Olympique de Marseille.

But there is a detail that will always attract attention because Lionel Messi no he only scored at the Camp Nou against Real Madrid. He also did it at the Santiago Bernabéu, a stadium where he scored 15 goals for Barcelona.

For the 26 goals he scored against Chamartín’s team, Lionel Messi is considered the top gunner in clashes between Barcelona vs. Real Madrid. The second is Cristiano Ronaldo with 18 goals, like Alfredo Di Stéfano.

It was precisely the stadium of Real Madrid where Lionel Messi he played his first classic as a starter and his last. The ‘Flea’ appeared in the starting eleven where Barcelona ended up winning 3-0 on matchday 12 of LaLiga in 2005. He said goodbye to the classics in April 2021 with a 2-1 loss.

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Throughout the 17 years he was in Barcelona, Lionel Messi he also missed some games against him Real Madrid either by injury or technical decision. The latter spent his first season with the main team of the culé team.

On November 20, 2004, Frank Rijkaard, a technician at the time of Barcelona, surprised by summoning Lionel Messi for the match against him Real Madrid at the Camp Nou. That time, the Argentine could only see the culé triumph 3-0 from the bench.

Messi was not considered for the return match that was played at the Santiago Bernabéu on April 10, 2005. That time, Real Madrid beat Barcelona 4-2. The ‘Flea’ was not among the 18 players that Rijkaard had.

Perhaps many do not remember what the classics were like before the history of Lionel Messi with Barcelona. The last classic before the ‘Flea’ went up to the first team was in the 2003-04 season. The first match in that tournament between Barza vs. Real Madrid It took place on December 6, 2003 at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona formed with this team: Víctor Valdés, Van Bronckhorst, Puyol, M. Reiziger, P. Cocu, Xavi, Luis García, Gabri, T. Motta, Gérard and Kluivert. They entered the complementary Overmars, Saviola and Quaresma. In the end, it was a 2-1 victory for Real Madrid with goals from Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Kluivert discounted.

Then the next game that season was at the Santiago Bernabéu. Barcelona ended up winning 2-1 and came out with this team: Víctor Valdés, Van Bronckhorst, Puyol, Reiziger, Oleguer, Cocu, Ronaldinho, Xavi, Davids, J. Saviola and Overmars. Kluivert, Luis Enrique and Motta entered.

That were the last two classics before it appeared Lionel Messi on Barcelona. The Argentine’s numbers speak for themselves, that is why it will always be impossible to forget everything he did with the Blaugrana shirt.

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