The top 10 goalscorers since 2000

Actual Madrid welcome Barcelona to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday for the primary El Clasico conflict of the season, and there is already all to play for within the La Liga title race.

Barcelona have loved a terrific begin to the marketing campaign, profitable 9 of their 10 top-flight matches as they sit prime of the desk.

Most impressively, the Catalan giants have been discovering the online for enjoyable – scoring 33 objectives already, 12 of which have come courtesy of veteran striker Robert Lewandowski, who’s rolling again the years together with his scoring streak.

Madrid, in the meantime, have not been fairly as prolific in entrance of objective, scoring 21, however are nonetheless profitable video games. They path free-scoring Barca by simply three factors going into the weekend, which means a house win will likely be sufficient to see them go prime through their head-to-head document.

Forward of the sport, we have delved into the archives to seek out the highest 10 El Clasico goalscorers of the twenty first century. No prizes for guessing who dominates, however loads of world superstars have had their say on this fixture during the last 25 years…

10

Ronaldinho

5 objectives

In the course of the 2004/05 and 2005/06 seasons, Ronaldinho was a thorn in Actual Madrid’s facet.

In 4 video games for Barcelona in opposition to Los Blancos, the silky Brazilian famous person scored 5 objectives, together with two in a 3-0 win in November 2005 – a recreation which is finest remembered for being Lionel Messi’s El Clasico debut.

Messi, 18 on the time, received the help for Samuel Eto’o’s opener on the day.

9

Pedro

5 objectives

Many overlook simply how good Pedro was for Barcelona (and certainly for Chelsea later down the road).

A graduate of the membership’s well-known La Masia academy, the Spanish winger made 321 appearances for Barca between 2007 and 2016, scoring 99 objectives.

5 of these objectives got here in 21 video games in opposition to Actual Madrid, together with throughout their Champions League semi-final in 2011.

8

Xavi

5 objectives

Extensively considered one of many biggest midfielders of all time, Xavi all the time stepped on top of things when Barcelona performed Actual Madrid.

In 42 matches in opposition to Los Merengues, La Computadora, as he was identified, scored 5 objectives and registered an extra 10 assists.

A very powerful of these 5 strikes got here manner again in April 2004 when Xavi hit a late winner by lobbing Madrid keeper Iker Casillas with an excellent acrobatic volley in a 2-1 victory for Barca on the Bernabeu.

7

Sergio Ramos

5 objectives

Regardless of being a central defender, Sergio Ramos was well-known for his means to attain objectives for Actual Madrid.

Thus far, the previous Los Blancos captain has scored 140 profession objectives, making him one of many highest-scoring defenders the sport has ever seen. Barcelona had been certainly one of his most frequent victims.

In 49 video games in opposition to the Blaugrana for Madrid between 2005 and 2021, he scored 5 objectives, together with a memorable late winner in a 2-1 win for his facet in March 2013.

6

Raul

6 objectives

Spanish striker Raul scored 15 objectives in opposition to Barcelona throughout his 16-year profession at Actual Madrid, however simply six of these got here for the reason that millennium.

Arguably the perfect of these objectives got here in Could 2002. Going through off in opposition to Barca within the second leg of a Champions League semi-final tie, Raul thumped the ball into the highest nook from outdoors the penalty space simply earlier than half-time, sending the group on the Bernabeu into hysterics.

The ultimate rating on the evening completed 1-1, however with Madrid having gained the primary leg 2-0, the draw was sufficient to see them into the ultimate, the place they went on to beat Bayer Leverkusen.

5

Vinicius Junior

7 objectives

Barcelona should be sick of the sight of Vinicius Junior. In simply 17 video games in opposition to the Catalans, the Madrid winger has scored seven objectives, three of which got here in final season’s Spanish Tremendous Cup, a recreation which Madrid gained 4-1.

He’ll have the prospect so as to add to that complete this weekend, and on condition that he is already hit 8 objectives in 14 video games this time period, do not be shocked if he does.

4

Luis Suarez

11 objectives

Luis Suarez spent six seasons with Barcelona between 2014 and 2020, scoring 195 objectives in 283 video games.

Throughout his spell in Catalonia, the Uruguayan significantly loved scoring in opposition to Actual Madrid, discovering the online 11 occasions in simply 15 video games, averaging a strike each 120 minutes in opposition to Los Blancos.

Madrid thought they had been accomplished with Suarez after he was let go by Barcelona in August 2020. Nonetheless, only a month later, he joined their metropolis rivals Atletico, the place he would once more discover the online in opposition to them in March 2021 as Diego Simeone’s facet stormed to the title.

3

Karim Benzema

16 objectives

2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema scored 16 objectives in opposition to Barcelona throughout his 14-season spell within the Spanish capital.

Eight of these objectives got here in La Liga, 4 got here within the Copa Del Rey, and 4 within the Spanish Tremendous Cup.

The French striker was by no means capable of finding the online in opposition to Barca within the Champions League, drawing a clean in every of the three video games he confronted off in opposition to them in Europe – all of which got here throughout his time at Lyon.

2

Cristiano Ronaldo

18 objectives

Following his then-record £80 million transfer to Actual Madrid in 2009, it took Cristiano Ronaldo some time to get getting in El Clasico.

He was unable to seek out the online in his first three video games in opposition to Barcelona, with Madrid popping out on the dropping finish each time.

Nonetheless, when the Portuguese star did get going, there wasn’t a lot anybody might do to cease him. Between April 2011 and August 2017, he scored 18 objectives in opposition to Barca, 4 of which had been profitable objectives, together with an extra-time strike within the last of the 2011 Copa del Rey.

1

Lionel Messi

26 objectives

Messi and Ronaldo had been all the time going to prime this record – and it is the Argentinian who comes out on prime on this explicit battle.

Lionel Messi scored a minimum of 26 occasions in opposition to Actual Madrid throughout his time in Catalonia, making him not solely the highest El Clasico scorer of this century, but in addition of all time.

His strike in opposition to Los Blancos within the 2011 Champions League semi-finals, which noticed him choose up the ball on the midway line and dribble previous a number of Madrid gamers earlier than dinking the ball over Iker Casillas, is broadly considered among the finest of his profession.