Cristiano Ronaldo's 10 best performances against Barcelona
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is widely recognised as one of the greatest soccer players to have kicked a ball.
He has often reserved his best for matches against the biggest clubs and they do not get much bigger than Barcelona.
Here are 10 of his best performances in tussles with the Spanish giants.
Copa del Rey final (April 20, 2011) Real 1-0 Barcelona
Ronaldo had virtually carried Real to the final, with six goals in the competition before the two clubs met at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium for the showpiece.
With Jose Mourinho in charge of Los Blancos, it was always going to be a cagey affair and Real stifled Barca’s attacking threat in the first half. Ronaldo first tested Catalans keeper Jose Pinto on the stroke of half time.
However, the men from the Nou Camp began to dominate the match after the break and Iker Casillas had to be alert in the Real goal. At the other end, Ronaldo kept probing without having any clear-cut chances.
The game went to extra time and, after almost scoring from Xabi Alonso's through ball, he headed home in the 103rd minute from an Angel Di Maria cross. It was good enough to win the match and hand Ronaldo his first silverware for the club.
La Liga (April 21, 2012) Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid
This was a pivotal match in the race for the Spanish title in 2011/12, with Real four points clear as they entered the Nou Camp. With just four games of the campaign remaining it was seen as a must-win affair for the hosts.
Ronaldo had an early header saved by Victor Valdes before Sami Khedira gave the visitors a 17th-minute lead.
The game continued to be a fast-flowing, open affair and there were chances galore at both ends, but the fans had to wait until the 70th minute for the next goal.
It came from Barca’s Alexis Sanchez and the crowd went wild, with the hope of securing a winner in the final 20 minutes to heap pressure on Real’s title bid.
However, up stepped Ronaldo to silence the throng just over two minutes later as he rounded Valdes before slotting home.
It was his 42nd goal of an amazing season and both the match and title race were over.
Copa del Rey (February 26, 2013) Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid
The first leg of this semi-final ended 1-1 at the Bernabeu and Real had it all to do at the Nou Camp.
It seemed for all the world as though Barca would go through to the final but Ronaldo had other ideas.
The Portugal skipper ran the show from start to finish and put his side one goal ahead with a 13th-minute penalty after he had been fouled by Gerard Pique.
The home fans were restless with a 1-0 half-time scoreline and things got worse when the Portuguese ace added another in the 57th minute.
Jose Pinto saved Angel Di Maria’s shot and, after controlling the ball on his chest, Ronaldo fired home from close range.
Raphael Varane added a third to make it 4-1 on aggregate, prompting Real manager Jose Mourinho to put his finger to his lips and ‘silence’ the Barca fans.
Jordi Alba grabbed a consolation a minute from time but it was far too little, too late.
Supercopa de Espana (August 29, 2012) Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona
Although this season opener is thought of as an exhibition it is rarely the case when these two teams go at it.
Barca had won the first leg on home soil 3-2, with Lionel Messi scoring one of his side’s goals and Ronaldo bagging for Los Blancos.
However, it was the capital outfit who took the return leg, lifting the cup on the away goals rule after the tie had ended 4-4.
All three goals came in the first half, with Gonzalo Higuain giving Real an 11th-minute lead.
Ronaldo then showed his class and poise. He nonchalantly back-heeled the ball over center back Gerard Pique and bided his time before powering his shot home to make it 2-0.
Messi smashed home a free kick from 35 yards out to give his side hope, but they could not find another and Real claimed the bragging rights.
La Liga (October 7, 2012) Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid
Barca went into this Clasico with a 100 per cent record in the league and an eight-point advantage over Real.
A pulsating contest saw that record end but the Catalan side went on to win La Liga by 15 points, with Real trailing in a distant second.
The sight of nearly 100,000 fans can be intimidating but not for Ronaldo, who opened the scoring in the 23rd minute from a tight angle. Karim Benzema hit the post two minutes later, but Lionel Messi equalized just after the half-hour mark.
Messi’s 61st-minute trademark 25-yard free kick was too good for Iker Casillas but just five minutes later, Ronaldo made sure the visitors returned to Madrid with a point.
He beat the offside trap to score yet another crucial goal for Real although, in the context of the league campaign, it meant little.
La Liga (April 2, 2016) Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid
Playing at the Nou Camp can unnerve any side even before you throw a 39-game unbeaten home run into the mix.
However, that is without reckoning for the man from Madeira who did the business once again.
Gerard Pique's header from a corner gave Barca a 56th-minute lead after a goalless first half and it seemed as though the hosts were heading for yet another victory.
But six minutes later Karim Benzema's brilliant scissor kick made it 1-1, before Gareth Bale had what looked to be a perfectly good goal ruled out for a foul.
Real captain Sergio Ramos was sent off in the 83rd minute for a second yellow card and it appeared as though Real would be happy to walk away with a point.
However, Ronaldo chested down Bale's cross before driving a shot between the legs of Claudio Bravo.
Barca won the title by one point from Real despite Ronaldo’s best efforts.
La Liga (October 25, 2014) Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona
Barca may have won the title, pipping their great rivals by two points, but Real took this early-season clash at the Bernabeu.
As usual, Ronaldo played his part after the visitors had gone ahead in the fourth minute courtesy of Brazil’s Neymar. Karim Benzema almost tied the match but his powerful header from Ronaldo’s cross struck the woodwork.
In the 35th minute, Gerard Pique handled a Marcelo cross and Ronaldo found the net from the penalty spot to secure his 16th goal of the season.
Pepe made it 2-1 early in the second period and the game was put beyond doubt when Ronaldo capitalized on a rare Andres Iniesta error to find James Rodriguez who slid the ball to Benzema for the third.
La Liga (April 16, 2011) Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona
The sides were set to face each other four times in two weeks - twice in the Champions League and once in the Copa del Rey in addition to this league meeting.
Honours were even at the Bernabeu as a Lionel Messi penalty was canceled out by Ronaldo’s spot kick nine minutes from time. Messi had given Barca the lead in the 51st minute after Raul Albiol pulled David Villa to the ground with a challenge that saw him sent off.
Dani Alves brought down fellow Brazilian Marcelo and Ronaldo was on target from 12 yards in the 81st minute.
The former Manchester United forward had earlier struck the post with a dipping free kick early in the second period of a tetchy game.
He stood tall to take the responsibility of the penalty to ensure both sides claimed a point.
Copa del Rey (January 25, 2012) Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid
Leading 2-1 from the first leg, Barca went through 4-3 on aggregate but not before a Ronaldo-inspired Real had mounted a fierce comeback.
Pedro and Dani Alves earned Barca a three-goal aggregate cushion, with goals in the 43rd and 44th minute and at half time, it looked all over at 2-0.
Ronaldo pulled one back for the visitors in the 67th minute and Karim Benzema brought the sides level on the night. They pushed for the goal that would have taken them through on the away goals rule but Barca held on and went on to lift the trophy with victory over Athletic Bilbao in the final.
Champions League (December 8, 2020) Barcelona 0-3 Juventus
Ronaldo may have ended his domestic rivalry with Barcelona when moving to Juve in 2018 but it did not prevent him from tormenting them in Europe.
The sides were grouped together in the 2020/21 Champions League and it was the Spaniards who came out on top in their initial meeting in Turin. The Old Lady gained revenge in spectacular fashion at the Nou Camp, however, as Ronaldo scored two penalties.
Uruguay defender Ronald Araujo fouled him in the 13th minute and Ronaldo sent Marc-Andre ter Stegen the wrong way.
Juve doubled their lead through Weston McKennie's bicycle kick and it was 2-0 at the break. Any thoughts of a Barca comeback were dashed when Clement Lenglet handled seven minutes into the second half and Juve’s superstar buried another from 12 yards out.
It was the 36th meeting between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi and there was only one winner on the night.
