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In the 2010/11 season FC Barcelona and Real Madrid faced off in three different competitions, the La Liga, Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League. Today, for the first since the start of 1997/98 season an El Clasico will determine the winner of the Supercopa de España, the Spanish Super Cup.
This match-up marks the fifth time one of the biggest rivalries, if not the biggest rivalry, in the world will decide who will take home the first trophy of the season. Barcelona booked a spot in the competition by winning the Spanish League while Real Madrid did so by hoisting the King's Cup. Only once before have the two eternal rivals entered the Super Cup with Barcelona adding a league title and Real winning the Cup. On the other three occasions Real were crowned champions of Spain and Barcelona lifted the Copa del Rey.
But no matter who won which trophy the year before the result of the Supercopa was always the same. It was won by Real Madrid.
Unlike in other major football leagues in Europe, the Super Cup is in Spain played over two legs resulting in eight games played between the rivals over the course of history. Five games have been won by the Los Blancos while in only two the victorious side were the Blaugrana; one game ended in a draw. Real Madrid also holds a comfortable lead in goal difference, scoring 17 and conceding 8.
Barcelona and Real Madrid first battled for the Super Cup in 1988. Each team won at their home venue, but on aggregate Real outscored Barcelona 3-2
Two years later world witnessed the most one sided El Clasico in Supecopa history. Real Madrid won in Barcelona 0-1 and in Madrid 4-1 for the comfortable 5-1 victory.
In 1993 the two rivals were again pitted against each other and again Barcelona failed to win a single game. This year, however, they managed to not lose at home (1-1 at Camp Nou), but the were outplayed in Madrid and lost the game 3-1 and the Cup 4-2
The last encounter came in 1997 when both teams earned a victory at home, with Barca winning 2-1 at the Camp Nou. But because Los Merengues won their home game by the score of 4-1 Barca again went home empty handed.
Stats from previous El Clasico Super Cup games
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Barcelona has lost all four games played at Santiago Bernabeu
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Real Madrid won only one game at the Camp Nou
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Real Madrid scored in every one of the eight games while Barcelona failed to score in two
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Only twice has Barcelona scored more than one goal
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The team that scored the first goal of the game went on to win the game in just 50% of the games.
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The team that won the first game of the tie went on the lift the trophy in three of four encounters.
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When the score was tied at half time (five times) the home team won the game four times.
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Top scorers for Barcelona: José María Bakero (3) followed by Giovanni Silva (2)
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Top scorers for Real Madrid: Emilio Butragueño and Raúl González (3)
Tonight history will be written once more, and on Wednesday another trophy will be handed out.
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