COPA DEL REY The 5 most iconic Spanish Cup El Clasicos in the 21st century

From Suarez ripping up the Bernabeu to Gareth Bale vs Marc Bartra, the Spanish Cup has seen quite a few iconic El Clasicos

El Clasico over the years has been one of the most heated and divisive fixtures on the Spanish football calendar, but also one of the most enjoyable between the two biggest teams in the land. Real Madrid and Barcelona. 

It has not always been the most alluring for the football alone, but there have been some football games between these two that belong in the pantheons of football. 

The Copa del Rey has seen its fair share of this encounter, and we bring you the five most iconic ones in the 21st century, featuring incredible moments, goals, and everything you would expect from El Clasico.  

5. Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona 2012–13 semi-finals second leg (Camp Nou)

Real Madrid were still reeling from getting knocked out at this exact stage by Barcelona the previous year, and were also third on the table in La Liga, trailing Barcelona by 16 points when this match was played. 

An El Clasico victory was not just desired by the Madrid populace, it was craved. Like the Naira note in February 2023. This instalment of El Clasico featured one of the most iconic dribbling gifs on the internet today.

After playing out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Bernabeu, there was little faith that the team could pull off what was essentially an upset, but they did anyway. Two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and another from Raphael Varane gave Real Madrid an unassailable lead, and Jordi Alba’s late goal for Barcelona was nothing more than a consolation. 

Incredibly, Real Madrid would go on to lose the Copa del Rey final to their other despised rivals, Atletico Madrid. 

4. Barcelona 3-0 Real Madrid 2018/19 semi-finals second leg (Bernabeu)

Barcelona eventually got revenge for the defeat in number five above, by rocking up to the Bernabeu and handing Real Madrid a spanking in front of their own supporters. 

Barcelona were in the middle of a remarkable season that saw them eventually win the league after losing only one game, as well as reach the Champions League semifinal when they went to the Bernabeu after a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou in the first leg. 

What was expected to be a tight encounter ended up being a blowout as Barcelona showed their dominance over Real Madrid that season with their third victory in four El Clasico fixtures that term. 

Luis Suarez hit a double for Barcelona, and Varane found himself on the scoresheet again, albeit on the wrong side. Intriguingly, Barcelona also went on to lose the Copa del Rey final that season to Valencia. 

3. Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid 2011–12 quarter-finals first leg (Camp Nou)

Many El Clasico fixtures are hailed for their end-to-end action and the never-say-die narrative that prevails when these two sides meet, and few games embody those attributes as much as the 2011/12 Copa del Rey quarterfinal between Barcelona and Real Madrid. 

After securing a 2-1 away victory in the first leg, Barcelona rallied to a two-goal lead in the first half at home, but Real refused to be dead in the tie, clawing back two goals in the second half thanks to Ronaldo and Benzema, ultimately falling short of a third goal that would have seen them qualify on away goals. 

The four goals scored are the joint highest in an El Clasico game in the Copa del Rey this century. Barcelona went on to win the cup, their only trophy that season and the last of the Pep Guardiola empire. 

2. Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona 2010–11 Final (Neutral)

A clear example of what made El Clasico special during the Pep versus Jose Mourinho era, this game was supercharged with emotions and tension. 

It was one of the five El Clasicos played that season, as Barcelona and Real Madrid met in the UCL, LaLiga, and Copa del Rey. 

To make things spicier, four of these fixtures were arranged within a three-week period that, for most, represented the peak of the rivalry. 

Just four days after a heated LaLiga Clasico, the two giants locked horns in the final, and after several flashpoints, a contentious offside that sparked a war of words between two managerial greats, eight yellow cards, and a red card for Di Maria, the game was ultimately decided by an extra time header by Ronaldo. 

1. Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona 2013–14 Final (Neutral)

The Copa del Rey final will live long in the memory of everyone but one man. This would eventually go on to be nicknamed the "Gareth Bale versus Marc Bartra final." 

Bale had had an inauspicious start to life at Real Madrid in his first season. He was acquired for a world record fee, and even though he had scored and assisted a tonne, he was still being outshone by Ronaldo, who was technically a less expensive player. 

More pertinently, he had not delivered a marquee moment the way that Ronaldo had done on numerous occasions for Los Blancos, but in this final, his time would finally come. 

Poor Bartra, most people remember him in the final for what happened with Bale, rather than for scoring a crucial equaliser but such is the way of football. 

Less than 20 minutes after Bartra had clawed an underwhelming Barcelona level with a brilliant header from a corner, he found himself in a foot chase with Gareth Bale at the peak of his powers. Arguably the worst place a footballer can imagine themselves. 

He expectedly lost the foot chase in comical manner and Bale gave Real Madrid a 2-1 win with his first marquee moment in a final for Los Blancos. It would not be his last. Not even in that season.  

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