With Cristano Ronaldo opting to test himself in the Serie A and Lionel Messi side-lined due to injury, El Clasico won’t feature two of the fixture’s biggest protagonists for the first time since December 23, 2007.
Real Madrid bagged all three points at the Camp Nou and went on to win the league that season.
Here, we take a look at what transpired between the heavyweights.
Baptista’s solitary goal made the difference
Julio Baptista’s stunning strike saw Real Madrid come out on top in the first El Clasico of the 2007-08 season. After a quick move, the Brazilian stepped up to send the ball past a stranded Victor Valdez and into the back of the net just before the break.
Barcelona had no reply to Baptista’s goal and the defeat left their manager Frank Rijkaard’s future in serious doubt as Los Blancos strode into the new year seven points ahead of their rivals.
What came next?
Rijkaard was already under scrutiny and whispers of his sacking were growing louder in Catalonia. Some of the decisions taken by the Dutchman such as leaving out Eidur Gudjohnsen for Deco and giving the last ten minutes to Bojan ahead of an established World Class player in Thierry Henry were heavily criticised.
Barcelona went on to finish ten points behind second placed Villarreal that season. Riijkard was sacked at the end of the campaign.
Clasicos define legacies
What followed was a defining moment in Barcelona’s history as Pep Guardiola took the reins and established an untarnishable legacy at the Camp Nou. The former Barcelona midfielder led the club to a treble of trophies in his first season – and 14 pieces of silverware in total over his four years as boss.
For all Pep’s success, his compatriot Rafael Benitez failed to find his magic touch at the Bernabeu. Shortly after a 4-0 defeat to Barcelona, Benitez was sacked despite only losing three of the 25 matches he was in charge at the club.
Zinedine Zidane stepped in and would go on to lead Los Blancos to three successive Champions League titles. This achievement put the Frenchman and his club in a different league altogether.
