El Clásico, the football match that freezes the world for 90 minutes. A clash between two titans of the sport, the best two football teams in history playing for the glory of winning LaLiga. This match has been played since the early 20th century and has, since then, been a symbol of world football, without a doubt, the most important match in the world. At this moment, Real Madrid has the upper hand on Barcelona, but everybody knows this match couldn´t be more equal. Here are the things you should do before Real Madrid vs Barcelona:
Book your trip
El Clásico is played once in Barcelona and once in Madrid. Regardless of if you are interested in attending one or the other, you must be prepared in advance to book all that you will need to get from your house to the stadium. As you might very well imagine, this duel generates impressive amounts of expectations and consequently the demand to attend this match live is colossal.
On the other hand, both of the cities, Barcelona as well as Madrid have high levels of tourism, therefore you must take that into account. In conclusion, make sure that you can book your plain tickets and your hotel with time so that they are as cheap as possible and therefore you concentrate more money on the actual ticket to the stadium.
Choose a side
Maybe you´re already a die-hard Madrid or Barça fan, in which case this doesn´t apply to you, but if your not one of these because you support another team, then this does apply to you. The rivalry in the pitch is high, but the rivalry on the streets and in the stands is arguably even higher. You must consider that, as mentioned earlier, this match has deep historic routes, and you can see that in the atmosphere before the match. Depending if it is played in one city or the other, you will very rarely see any fans of the away team, there is a lot of respect between one and other.
For instance, it wouldn´t be a good idea to celebrate a goal for Barcelona if you are in the Bernabeu. The same thing applies if you are in the Camp Nou. Now you can´t say that you haven´t been warned!
Enjoy the history
In both Stadiums (Santiago Bernabeu and Camp Nou) there is a part of the club museum dedicated to the history of El Clásico. If you are going to attend this match, it would be highly recommended that you book a stadium tour or simply a ticket to the museum. There you will find the detailed history of El classico, with anecdotes, key dates, key matches, and of course key players that have defined some of the most legendary El Clásico moments, like for instance that cold moment when messi scored against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu a last minute goal and he took his t-shirt off and showed it to the entire stadium, one of the coldest moments in sports.
Now, depending on if you visit one museum or the other, you may notice some bias as it is to expect, the rivalry is so high that no team wants to concede any flattering comments to the eternal rival.
Breathe the atmosphere
As mentioned before, the ambience generated before El Clásico is a once on a lifetime experience. The streets fill with fans chanting and showing the profound and endless support and admiration for their club. Normally before the match starts, in the close by areas of the stadium is where all the fans gather. For Real Madrid the key street is called Marceliano, a long street packed with bars, and in game night, crowded with Real Madrid fans giving their everything in the centre of Madrid. On Barça´s side, they gather on multiple streets also near the stadium, the atmosphere is the same, just different colours. Additionally, the chants sang by Barça fans are in their vast majority in Catalan and not in Spanish, so that might make it a bit harder to learn.
It is a must to be present here as you will experience a key part of the experience, which is the pre-game. Also, to enjoy the experience even more, it would be great to learn some chants of the local team to blend in more and live it like a true local.
If big crowds, flairs, and chants are not for you, but you still enjoy spending time with local fans, there are plenty of bars near the stadium that will most definitely have fans of the local team enjoying a more gastronomical and “peaceful” pre-game.
Either way, both are great options and the best of experiences.
