#3 The 6-2 loss to Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu, May 2009
Real Madrid’s history from its recent times has been defined by its rivalry with Spanish football’s other great club: FC Barcelona. The two of these clubs have won 8 of the last 20 editions of the European Cup and have, by and large, stamped their authority as the two best club sides in the world.
In the 2008-09 season, which was Pep Guardiola’s first and most successful year in charge of the Catalan club, Barcelona raced on to a 15-point lead in the La Liga standings by December. Real had an ongoing turmoil within the backroom staff to contend with, after the sacking of manager Bernd Schuster in midseason.
While Real rallied to an 18-game unbeaten streak during the close-season (out of which 17 were outright wins), they were decidedly inferior to a rampaging Barcelona side which caught them by surprise in the home fixture.
Thierry Henry and Leo Messi scored two apiece, while Barca’s centre back duo of Puyol and Pique helped themselves to a goal each as the Catalunyans ran riot inside the Santiago Bernabeu.
The result is the worst home defeat ever experienced by either side in their century-old rivalry and is one of the most forgettable moments in Real Madrid history.
