WHEN TITANS CLASHED…

The El Clasico is one of the most eagerly anticipated football derbies in the world. But the fans will find something amiss in this Sunday’s battle between Barcelona and Real Madrid, as it won’t feature either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since December 2007. With the towering personalities always adding to the drama and rivalry, HT relives the numbers of this historic clash:

BIGGEST RIVALRY Barcelona versus

Real Madrid was among one of the biggest derbies but the arrivals of Messi and then Ronaldo at their respective clubs gave it a different edge. Two of the modern greats going head-to-head was one of the most-anticipated events in football.

As their rivalry progressed,

so did the viewership with it garnering record number of views for a football game over the years.

ADVANTAGE MESSI While Cristiano Ronaldo

departed for Juventus after a nine-year stay in Madrid that yielded 450 goals and 15 trophies including four Champions League crowns, it is Lionel Messi who has had a better outing when the two locked horns in the Clasico.

In 38 Clasicos Messi has figured in, he has won 17 of which 13 wins have come in the La Liga. Ronaldo has featured in 30 Clasicos but has been on the winning side only on eight occasions.