El Clásico: how many Clásicos has Xavi played in and won as a player?
Barcelona's manager knows Real Madrid quite well having played against them for many seasons. We take a look at his record as a player vs. Los Blancos.
Almost six months later, soccer fans will enjoy another chapter in one of the most followed and strongest rivalries in world sports, as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona renew their historic rivalry on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
It will be the first time the two Spanish giants will collide in LaLiga with Xavi as a coach, as he took the Barça reigns last November to replace another legend of the Catalan club, Ronald Koeman, who lost the first Clásico of the campaign to Real Madrid at Camp Nou (1-2).
Xavi, who saw his team taste defeat against Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup (2-3) in a very entertaining game, will look to take the three points in the Spanish capital, taking advantage of the good results and performances his squad is offering to the fans of the club lately.
Xavi's record vs Real Madrid as a player
If there's someone who knows what it feels like to play in a Clásico, that's probably Xavi: he has faced their archrivals 42 times, winning 17 of them, losing 13, and tying 12. In those 42 matches, the former midfielder scored five goals and registered eight assists.
The club's golden era with Pep Guardiola on the bench was undoubtedly the most prolific for the now Blaugrana coach, with performances that went down in history like the 2-6 at the Santiago Bernabéu - where he set up four goals -, or the 5-0 against José Mourinho's men in 2010.
Barça looking for the win three years later
Although Madrid are out in front at the top of LaLiga, the Catalan coach will be aiming to stop Real's five-game winning streak against. the Blaugranas, who haven't won a Clásico since March 2019.
With the additions of Adama Traoré, Ferran Torres, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - who has scored seven goals in 10 matches -, Barcelona remain unbeaten in their last 12 games in all competitions.