Remembering 2011's Wild Run of Four El Clasicos in 17 Days

Back in 2011, El Clasico, arguably the fiercest rivalry in the world, was at its peak. Real Madrid vs Barcelona. Jose Mourinho vs Pep Guardiola. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi. It really didn't get any better.

Fast forward to 2025, and the two Spanish heavyweights could be on a collision course once again. The two are locked in a fight at the top of the La Liga table, with the Catalonians currently leading their capital city rivals by four points. The two sides are set to meet in Barcelona's Olympic Stadium on May 11th in a contest that could decide the fate of the title.

Three Season-Altering Clasicos?

Not only that, but the two historic enemies are on a collision course in two other competitions as well. Following Los Blancos' victory over Real Sociedad and Barcelona's victory against Atlético Madrid, there will be an El Clasico Copa Del Rey final for the first time in 11 years. And if that wasn't enough, there could even be an El Clasico UEFA Champions League final for the first time ever as well, with the two rivals on opposite sides of the draw and set to meet in Munich on May 31st.

Admittedly, online betting sites feel like that could be a big ask following Real Madrid's 3-0 demolition away at Arsenal in the quarterfinals. Following that defeat, popular betting sites in Canada have pushed the reigning champions out to 20/1 to lift the trophy for a record-extending 16th time this term, while their Catalonian adversaries are the 2/1 betting favorites.

Whether that comes to fruition or not remains to be seen, but if they do, then 2025 will certainly go some way toward emulating arguably the peak of the storied El Clasico rivalry.

League Decider

14 years ago, Barcelona was the dominant force in Spanish football. Under Pep Guardiola, they had romped to two straight league titles, as well as completing a historic sextuple in 2009 - winning every tournament the club entered. As a result, Real Madrid was forced to turn to the Special One, Jose Mourinho, in a bid to bridge the gap. The maverick Portuguese manager had just defeated Barcelona with Inter Milan the previous year en route to leading the Nerazzurri to Champions League glory, and it was hoped that he would revive the ailing Los Blancos.

In his maiden campaign with the club, he certainly did his best. Turning the pressure up to a million in press conferences week after week, Real pushed hard to close the gap to its rivals in La Liga. On April 16th, the two sides met at the Bernabeu with Barcelona eight points clear at the summit. Real knew that they had to win to have any hope of reeling in their rivals at the top of the table.

Ultimately, they had to settle for a draw, but it was a point gained rather than two points lost after the sending-off of defender Raul Albiol. Penalties from superstars Messi and Ronaldo ensured that the spoils were shared, but that result all but took the title to Catalonia. Advantage Barcelona.

Copa Del Rey Final

Just four days on from that clash in the Bernabeu, the two clubs met to contest the Copa Del Rey final in Valencia. It was the first time that the two teams had met in the Spanish Cup final in 21 years, and onlookers knew that this was the opportunity for Mourinho to make his mark and put a dent in the all-conquering Blaugrana's armor. The Special One did exactly that.

Employing neutralizing tactics to contain the mercurial Messi, Real managed to hold their free-flowing attacking rivals to a goalless draw after 90 minutes. In extra time, Barca was the team pressing for a winner, but it was Los Blancos who found the all-important goal. Angel Di Maria broke away down the left-hand side in the first half of extra time and hung up an inviting cross for the towering Ronaldo to power a header past replacement goalkeeper Pinto.

The goal sent one-half of the Mestalla into raptures and sparked wild scenes in the dugout as well. Barcelona would press for an equalizer but it never came, and it was Real who exited Valencia with the trophy for the first time since 1993. The capital strikes back.

Champions League Semi-Finals

Following two Clasicos in four days, there was no time for the animosity to calm as the two sides would clash across two legs in the Champions League semi-finals. Mourinho would talk his talk in the press, accusing UEFA and referees of favoring Barcelona, while also laughing at his opposite number for having the gall to complain about decisions against his team. Guardiola would snap back, abandoning his calm and composed demeanor for a more aggressive one, saying: "In this (press) room Mourinho is the boss, the (expletive) master. I won't compete with him here."

On the pitch, however, he certainly did compete. The first leg at the Bernabeu was a feisty affair, resulting in five yellow cards and two reds. The biggest of them all was Pepe's straight red card on the hour mark, with Real's Portuguese defender losing his head and kicking out at Pedro following a coming together between the two. Barca would take full advantage, and a brace from Messi - the second being a dazzling solo goal - handed Barca a 2-0 win.

That result pretty much put the two-legged contest to bed. In the second leg, the two would draw 1-1 in the Camp Nou, with Barca progressing on to the final. They would ultimately win the trophy for the second time in three seasons with a 3-1 victory against Manchester United at Wembley, but the following year, Real would strike back, ripping the La Liga title away from their oldest rivals for the first time in four years.

16.04.2025