5 players who have tormented Barcelona over the years
Barcelona are one of world football’s most prestigious and successful clubs. The Catalan side boast of 75 domestic titles and 20 international honors to present a truly awe-inspiring collection of success.
The Blaugrana have fielded some of the greatest players the game has ever seen. In recent years, Camp Nou has featured the likes of Andres Iniesta, current head coach Xavi Hernandez, and arguably the greatest footballer of all time, Lionel Messi.
Barcelona have not been a team to fear going up against any opponent in the world. For decades, they have often had confidence in their high-quality players to make the difference with their positive, progressive gameplay.
However, despite their best efforts, some notable players have had a knack for performing against the Blaugrana. These stars made it a habit to trouble Barcelona, achieving impressive exploits against one of the best teams in Europe.
These players are usually the best in the game, or at least become the best whenever they face the Catalan club. So, without further ado, here are five players who have tormented Barcelona over the years:
Honorable mentions
While this list will focus on recent history, it will hardly be complete without mentioning certain other legendary players.
For instance, Alfredo di Stefano, the Real Madrid legend, was a brilliant and clinical goalscorer in his time, scoring 17 goals in 29 El Clasico clashes. Di Stefano remained a threat to the Blaugrana through much of the 1950s.
Another such player is Athletic Bilbao legend Guillermo Gorostiza. The former Spain international enjoyed an illustrious career against Barcelona in the 1930s, scoring an astonishing 24 goals in 25 games. So far, no one has managed more goals against Barca than Gorostiza across the last nine decades.
#5 Raul | Real Madrid
While Raul was at Real Madrid, Barcelona was often the much better team. In the 37 El Clasico matches he played against the Blaugrana, Raul and Real Madrid only managed 11 wins, losing 16. However, this didn't stop the legendary striker from finding his way through Barcelona's defense time and again.
Raul gives Real an early lead 7 minutes in.
Rivaldo equalises 10 minutes before HT.
Two El Clasico legends.
Real Madrid 2-2 Barcelona | March, 2001
👑 Raul gives Real an early lead 7 minutes in.
🇧🇷 Rivaldo equalises 10 minutes before HT.
👑 A minute later, Raul scores again to put Madrid ahead.
🇧🇷 Rivaldo levels it up yet again 20 minutes before FT.
😍 Two El Clasico legends. https://t.co/X9JW1ldWCE
In those 37 rivalry clashes, Raul scored 15 goals and assisted four. His best record against the Blaugrana came in the Supercopa finals in 1998: three goals in two games to ensure that Real Madrid won the trophy.
His La Liga record against Barcelona is more modest, with 11 goals and two assists from 31 games. However, Raul's overall consistency in El Clasicos made him an itch at Barcelona's side for many years.
#4 Karim Benzema | Real Madrid
Although his goalscoring record against Barcelona isn't the best on this list, Karim Benzema's sheer number of El Clasico appearances are impressive. So far, the star has featured in an astonishing 41 games against Barca, with his first match coming in 2007 while at Olympique Lyon. No other player has played more games against Barcelona in history.
72| Karim Benzema scores to keep us up
Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid
#Supercopa #ElClasico https://t.co/Wuehjk1OL3
However, it was his move to the Santiago Bernabeu just over a decade ago that has seen Benzema clash against the Catalan titans every so often. 25 La Liga games have seen the star score seven goals and provide four assists against Barca.
Benzema's record against Barceloma is much better in knockout competitions. Seven Supercopa clashes with the Blaugrana have seen the Frenchman score three goals and provide three assists.