By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
Throughout the derby-filled Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, Eurohoops will take a deep dive into the history of those games, starting with one of the most classic marquee matchups on the planet.
Round 2 brings the first of those, as FC Barcelona will host Real Madrid in the first EuroLeague clásico of the season, a clash that needs no introduction between two of the greatest teams in European basketball.
For the occasion, Eurohoops has chosen five of the top clásicos that have been played in Barcelona, a selection of games that will forever be remembered and have a special part in the lore of what is arguably the biggest rivalry in basketball.
FC Barcelona 93-80 Real Madrid – 2021/22
The star from our first choice will be absent from Thursday’s game, unfortunately. The last time Barça and Real Madrid met in Barcelona, Nikola Mirotic absolutely stole the show with an unforgettable performance. He finished the night with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and a 39 PIR to give Barça the win against a resilient opponent. Managing to lose by just 13 points while having to deal with such a display is admirable, and Real Madrid even made it an 8-point game with 1:18 to play. But the Montenegrin, a former Real Madrid player, was simply too much and ended the game scoring the last five points for his team and sealing the win.
FC Barcelona 84-71 Real Madrid – 2004/05
From the last clásico to (almost) the first one. For the first time since 1996, Barça and Real Madrid played against each other in a European competition. Things were as tight as it gets until 24-year-old Juan Carlos Navarro exploded. ‘La Bomba’ took over in the last quarter and ended up having the second-best game of his Euroleague career against the archrival: 20 points (including 14-for-14 from the foul line), 4 rebounds, and 3 assists for a 32 PIR. Already in his last season with Barça, Dejan Bodiroga also had a great match with a 29 PIR, but that game was the perfect example of Barça entering Navarro’s era.
FC Barcelona 76-70 Real Madrid – 2005/06
Many things are different nowadays compared to the 2005-06 season. One of them is the competition format. Back then, the best teams played best-of-three series to make it to the Final Four. But there is one thing that for sure remains the same: having unexpected heroes when it matters most. Michalis Kakiouzis played arguably the best game of his stint with Barça to give the ‘Blaugrana’ a spot in the Final Four. After splitting wins in the first two games of the series, everything was to be decided in Barcelona. The Greek forward erupted like never before, finishing the game with 19 points and 5 rebounds as the X factor to send his team to Prague.
FC Barcelona 74-101 Real Madrid – 2017/18
It’s undeniable that the 2000s and early 2010s were dominated by Barcelona, but it’s also undeniable that everything shifted toward the middle of the last decade. Under Pablo Laso‘s management, Real Madrid built a dynasty in Spain that also had remarkable results in Europe. One of these came in the 2017-18 regular season win that Los Blancos took in Palau Blaugrana, with six players scoring in double-digits. This convincing victory was registered only a few weeks before the Euroleague title triumph in Belgrade, the best proof that it was Real Madrid time.
FC Barcelona 63-102 Real Madrid – 2015/16
Still, the previous game was nothing compared to this one. Despite Tyrese Rice‘s great game, with 23 points and five assists, Real Madrid absolutely destroyed their biggest rival as never before, setting a new all-time record with the 39-point win (the lead had been 47 points, 54-101, before Barça finished with a 9-1 run). Anthony Randolph, who was returning to Palau Blaugrana after eliminating Barça with Lokomotiv Kuban the season before, was an absolute monster on both ends of the floor. He scored 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked three shots, including the one on Joey Dorsey that is with no doubt one of the greatest ever in Euroleague history. Sergio Llull and Jaycee Carroll also contributed to the biggest win ever against Barça with 20 and 19 points each.