La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona gear up to lock horns this Saturday when the two sides meet at Santiago Bernabeu in the much talked about El Clasico encounters.
This season's edition of the epic fixture between the Spanish Primera Division's two most successful clubs is an even more special match as the two teams' star players Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have split six of the last seven Ballon d'Or titles amongst themselves, aim at entering the history books with two impressive Liga BBVA records.
Of course, then there is the issue of summer signing Luis Suarez. Check out the top 10 interesting fact ahead of Saturday's El Clasico tie.
1) Barca's clean sheet record
Barcelona are yet to concede a single goal in La Liga. After eight games, 640 minutes, the Blaugrana are the only side in Europe's top five leagues to have kept clean sheets in all their league games. Carlos Bravo made history by keeping clean sheets for the first 561 minutes of the season.
Barcelona are the only side across Europe's top 5 leagues yet to concede a single league goal this season (640 mins). pic.twitter.com/O13h7mOJsV
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 19, 2014
Stats Claudio Bravo at Barcelona: 7 games, 7 clean sheets, 12 saves, 0 goals conceded #fcblive [via @barcastat]
— barcastuff (@barcastuff) October 5, 2014
Barcelona's Claudio Bravo sets a new La Liga record after not conceding for the first 561 minutes of the season. pic.twitter.com/dajJaJxXEq
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 4, 2014
2) Ronaldo as good as Messi + Neymar
Cristiano Ronaldo has netted a record breaking 15 times in only eight games. That beats what Neymar and Messi have managed this season, COMBINED.
Messi + Neymar = CR7 (stats via ESPN FC)
3-) Messi set to make La Liga history at the Bernabeu
Well, that is of course IF the Argentine scores a brace past Iker Casillas. Messi is one goal shy of Telmo Zarra's record of 251 La Liga goals, and only needs two more to become the highest goalscorer in Spanish Primera Division history.
Messi is only 2 goals shy of becoming La Liga's leading goalscorer in history
UPDATE | Messi is only 1 goal shy of equalling Telmo Zarra as Spanish all-time goalscorer pic.twitter.com/5aOsiTkAOk
— MESSISTATS (@MessiStats) October 18, 2014
PERFECT SCENARIO Messi can equal/break Telmo Zarra's record (251 league goals) against his favorite opponent next week #Clasico
— MESSISTATS (@MessiStats) October 18, 2014
4-) Hat-trick number 23: CR7 chasing after his very own La Liga record
This, however, depends on whether the Portuguese ace can net a hat-trick against the Blaugrana. Although Claudio Bravo has proved tough to beat between the sticks, if Messi can net a hat-trick in El Clasico, why can't Ronaldo? The 29-year-old is only one shy of scoring the most number of La Liga hat-tricks by one player, beating the current record held by Alfredo Di Stefano and Telmo Zarra at 22.
ALL-TIME RECORD - Cristiano is the THIRD player to score 22 hat-tricks in La Liga history, equalling Telmo Zarra and Alfredo Di Stéfano.
— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) October 5, 2014
5-) Suarez about to play his first ever El Clasico
The thing that makes this issue even further interesting is that Saturday's clash with Real Madrid will likely be the Uruguayan's Barcelona debut. What a stage! Suarez's four-month ban ends on the October 24, meaning he is eligible to face Los Blancos.
— SUAREZ STATS (@SuarezStats) October 20, 2014
Suarez ready for El Clasico? Pique seems to think so
Pique: "Suarez ready for clasico? I think so. He scored twice against Oman and he's fit. So maybe we'll see him in the clasico, let's see."
— barcastuff (@barcastuff) October 21, 2014
6-) No Gareth Bale for Oct 25 – What Real Madrid could be missing
Welsh star and the world's most expensive football player Gareth Bale looks set to miss out on Saturday's encounter with a muscle injury, according to reports. The 25-year-old, a member of Real Madrid's famously fearsome "BBC" attack, has either scored, assisted, or created a key pass every 45.7 minutes in La Liga and the Champions League.
No Gareth Bale for El Clasico? Here is what Real Madrid could be missing
Gareth Bale has scored a goal, recorded an assist or executed a key pass once every 45.7 mins in La Liga & the Champions League this season.
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 20, 2014
7-) PRICE TAG: Real's final third vs Barca's
With Gareth Bale expected to miss El Clasico, Real Madrid's final third, Ronaldo (£80m), Benzema (£30m), and James Rodriguez (£63m), sum up to a total of £173m. Barcelona's, however, equals an estimated £136.2m, not including La Masia graduate Messi, as the Blaugrana forked out £71.2m and £65m for Neymar and Suarez, respectively.
Neymar stats: 24 goals in 50 games for Barca
50 - Neymar has played 50 games for FC Barcelona. Jubilee. pic.twitter.com/Iud0kT8fIN
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) October 20, 2014
Key figures from James Rodriguez's Real Madrid debut season
James Rodríguez: Has scored 2 goals from just 5 shots on target in La Liga this season
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) October 18, 2014
8-) Goal-per-game ratio: Who comes out on top?
In the last 5 game in La Liga, Real Madrid have netted a whopping 25 times, racking up to an impressive 5-goal-per-game ratio. Barcelona, on the other hand, have scored 16, equaling to a 3.2-goal-per-game ratio.
Best attacking record in La Liga (Stats via Sky Sports)
9-) Real and Barca's disciplinary record this season
It is important to note that Luis Enrique's side have seen a red card, a dismissal for Javier Mascherano in Liga BBVA's opening game. Real Madrid and Bacelona are the two sides with the lowest number of yellow cards in La Liga, this season, after eight games, with only 12 bookings. However, if history were to repeat itself, you can expect this disciplinary record to go out the window when the two face-off.
12 – Real Madrid & Barcelona are the two teams to have received the fewest yellow cards in La Liga this season (12). Care
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) October 21, 2014
10-) Messi's previous hat-trick in UCL and La Liga – A coincidence?
The 27-year-old La Albiceleste captain's previous hat-trick in the Champions League and La Liga was against Ajax and Real Madrid. Guess who are the next two opponents on the Catalan side's fixture schedule?
A coincidence?
Messi scored his previous hat-tricks in UCL and La Liga against Ajax and Real Madrid. His next 2 opponents? Ajax and Real Madrid
— MESSISTATS (@MessiStats) October 20, 2014
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