Being two of the most followed teams around the world usually creates a lot of tension among Real Madrid players when they face Barcelona. Ever since José Mourinho took over as Los Blancos' coach, both teams became more aggresive against each other, with some key episodes along the way, including Mou's infamous eye-poke against the late Tito Vilanova.
Zinedine Zidane must be worried about these numbers, since Real Madrid players have been handed ten red cards since the 2010-2011 season. On the other hand, Barcelona's footballers have only see four red cards during the same time frame.
Sergio Ramos, the man with the most red cards
The Spanish center back hasn't been able to control his temper when he meets his Barcelona counterparts, leaving the pitch earlier than expected three times since 2010. His most recent red card came during the second Clásico of the 2013-2014 season, when Los Culés defeated Real Madrid 4-3 at Santiago Bernabeu's ground. Ramos was sent off after bringing Neymar down inside his team's box, giving Barcelona the chance to get a two-goal lead they wouldn't lose.
Real Madrid have played 116 added minutes with less men on the pitch
Considering six different players have been sent off in all competitions, Real Madrid has found it hard to bounce back whenever they face a full Barcelona squad. Perhaps the most significant moment when a red card changed the outcome of a game happened when Pepe was sent off by referee Wolfgang Stark during their 2010-2011 UEFA Champions League matchup, which saw Los Blaugranas win 2-0 in the first leg of the series.
Only one player from Barcelona's current squad has been sent off vs Real Madrid
Barcelona's footballers have managed to keep it together a bit more when facing Los Blancos, and that translates to their current squad. Adriano is the only player currently on Barcelona's roster that has been sent off against Los Blancos. It happened back in the 2012-2013 Super Copa clash, which ended with a 2-1 win for Real Madrid. The Brazilian full back was handed a red card after 28 minutes, the shortest amount of time it has taken for a player to be sent off in any of their recent matchups.
Here's how both teams have "behaved" during the ongoing season.
Barcelona's yellow card tally: 50
Real Madrid's yellow card tally: 53
Barcelona's red card tally: 1 (Mascherano)
Real Madrid's red card tally: 4 (Ramos, Varane, Isco, Kovacic)
Zinedine Zidane's players will have to be extra careful not to tempt the referees with hard tackles, as history shows us that the authority doesn't hold back when it comes to showing them a red card, regardless of how the game is shaping up. Barcelona's players must try to make their counterparts lose their cool, and if they can manage to do so, victory will be a bit closer for them.
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