Stunning stats from the Bernabéu
Unsurprisingly, the huge 4-0 win at the Santiago Bernabéu has produced a host of very satisfying stats. Here are some of our favourites.
Xavi’s perfect debut
One might expect this to be the widest margin of victory ever for a Barça manager in his first Clásico, but that record actually still belongs to Ferdinand Daučík, whose team thrashed Real Madrid 7-2 at Les Corts in 1951, while it matches Helenio Herrera’s 4-0 victory at Camp Nou in 1959. But it’s the biggest ever win for a Barça manager when debuting away from home.
Aubameyang can’t stop scoring
Aubameyang is on fire! The Gabonese striker has scored nine goals in his first eleven games for Barça. And he’s also consistent. He had five shots against Madrid, and two of them found the net.
With an assist as well he became the first player to have a hand in three goals in his first ever Clásico in the 21st century, and counting games in La Liga and the Champions League (for Borussia Dortmund) he is the first player this century to score in five consecutive games against Real Madrid.
Solid Eric Garcia
Eric Garcia led the team for intercepted passes, four, and was second for completed passes, with 79. It was one of his finest performances in a Barça shirt and he was one of the prime reasons for the clean sheet.
Chances galore
Barça certainly took their chances. Of the ten shots on goal, four found the target. Had it not been the six saves from Courtois, some of which were magnificent, we would have been talking today about an even wider margin of victory.
In fact, only Frank Rijkaard (13) and Ernesto Valverde (11) coached a team to more shots in their first Clásico than Xavi did on Sunday night.
Versatile Araujo
Playing at full-back, the Ronald Araujo did an excellent job, and had the measure of Vinicius’ speed and skill. The Uruguayan won six balls in the game and again showed what a useful man he is at corners, heading in the second goal at the Santiago Bernabéu.
13 headed goals
Aubameyang also scored a header, taking Barça’s overall count to 13 this season. That’s five more than Betis, Valencia, Athletic Club, Atlético Madrid and Osasuna, who all have eight. Luuk de Jong leads the way at Barça with four goals scored with his head.
Dembélé the assist king
Ousmane Dembélé added two more assists to a collection that now amounts to nine in La Liga 2021/22. His speed and precision crosses were a constant worry for the Real Madrid defence, and he became only the second Barça player to make two assists in the same Clásico this century. The other? Xavi, of course, in 2009.
26 out of 30 to keep the dream alive
Barça have amassed 26 of the 30 possible points in the league in an unbeaten run stretching back for three and a half months. They’re beaten Mallorca, Alavés, Atlético Madrid, Valencia, Athletic Club, Elche, Osasuna and Real Madrid, and drew with Granada and Espanyol. Only counting games played in 2022, Barça have 26 points, four more than Atlético and six more than Villarreal and Real Madrid. The only other team that hasn’t lost in 2022 is Sevilla.
