Six players have a chance to make El Clasico debut count

The spotlight will fall on six players hoping to score on their first appearance in the famous meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid, with the chance to join a select group of Barcelona players who have made an immediate mark against their fiercest rivals.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Xavi Espart, Rodri, Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Gabriel Jesus and Hamza Abdelkarim are all awaiting their El Clasico debuts. A goal against Real Madrid in that first outing would place them in a distinguished part of Barcelona’s history.

The occasion carries significance beyond the players’ individual achievements. Victory would provide Barcelona with an important boost in the Spanish league title race, while scoring on a first appearance against the club’s traditional rivals remains an exceptional milestone in any player’s career.

A tradition of early impact

Several Barcelona greats have found the net in their first El Clasico appearances over the decades.

In the 21st century, Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldinho scored during Barcelona’s 3-0 victory in the 2004-05 season. Lionel Messi then took centre stage in 2006-07, scoring a memorable hat-trick in a 3-3 draw between the sides.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic followed with the winning goal in a 1-0 victory during the 2009-10 season. Neymar also scored on his first league appearance in the fixture in 2013-14, when Barcelona won 2-1.

Arturo Vidal continued the sequence by scoring in the emphatic 5-1 victory of 2018-19. Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan both found the net on their El Clasico debuts, although Barcelona lost both matches 2-1.

Ferran Torres was the latest player listed to make an immediate impact, scoring in Barcelona’s 4-0 win at Santiago Bernabeu in the 2021-22 season.

Maradona, Romario and Barcelona’s past legends

The tradition extends well beyond the modern era and includes some of the most celebrated names in Barcelona’s history.

In the 1978-79 season, Austrian striker Hans Krankl scored his only goal at Barcelona’s home ground against Real Madrid during his first season with the club. Bernd Schuster and Kenny Dalglish both scored in a 2-1 victory over the Spanish champions in 1981-82.

Diego Maradona then scored Barcelona’s opening goal in another 2-1 win the following season. Gary Lineker produced one of the most spectacular debut performances in 1986-87 by scoring a hat-trick against Real Madrid.

Ronald Koeman contributed two penalties in a 3-1 victory during the 1989-90 season. During the era known as the “Dream Team”, Romario became part of El Clasico folklore in a historic 5-0 win, particularly through his famous “cow’s tail” dribble past defender Alkorta.

Meho Kodro scored twice in a 3-0 victory in 1995-96, before Ronaldo Nazario added his name to El Clasico history the following season. Sonny Anderson then scored in another 3-0 win during the 1997-98 campaign.