The pageantry of the soccer world's biggest rivalry will once again be on display Dec. 23, when Real Madrid hosts Barcelona in another edition of El Clasico.
In fact, there have been 236 matches featuring the age-old rivals, with neither side having an overwhelming lead despite each team having gone through several spells of domination over the years.
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With the match on the horizon, let's delve into some of the more interesting numbers (all stats provided by Opta):
236 and counting
This month's match will be the 237th edition of El Clasico in all competitions. Real Madrid, host of the Dec. 23 clash, holds a slight advantage in overall wins. Madrid has won 95 matches against its rival, with Barcelona claiming 92 victories. The teams drew 49 times.
When they meet at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu two days before Christmas, it'll be the latest in a calendar year that El Clasico has been held at Madrid's stadium. The only previous contest played on Dec. 23 was in 2007 at Camp Nou, when Julio Baptista's goal held up as the winner in a 1-0 victory for Madrid.
Goals, goals, goals
Madrid needs one goal to reach 400 in all competitions against Barcelona and could reach the milestone this month. The Catalans have scored 384 times in El Clasico, and will have to wait a while longer before topping the 400 mark.
When Barca does reach that milestone, it'll likely come at the hands (or rather, the feet) of Lionel Messi. The Argentine is the all-time top scorer in El Clasico history with 24 goals — 14 of which have come at the Bernabeu.
MORE: Ramos, Iniesta and the iron men of El Clasico
If Messi isn't the one to set the record for Barca, it could be Luis Suarez who does it. Suarez has scored four goals in the six La Liga El Clasico matches he has played, and is the player who has scored the most goals versus Madrid in the competition since he made his debut as for Barcelona in 2014.
For Madrid, Marco Asensio is on a two-game scoring streak in El Clasico. If he nets on Dec. 23, he'll join Cristiano Ronaldo as the only Madrid players in this century to score in three straight matches against Barcelona.
Speaking of Ronaldo, the Portuguese superstar holds the record for goals scored in consecutive El Clasico matches. He scored in his sixth straight back in 2012.
In addition, Ronaldo has scored 17 goals against Barcelona in all competitions since he joined Madrid in 2009, and with one goal he will equal Alfredo Di Stéfano as the club's all-time top scorer in El Clasico history.
Streaks
Zinedine Zidane could become the first Madrid coach to win three consecutive matches versus Barca in all competitions since Di Stéfano — who won four straight games between 1983 and 1990, but spread over separate stints as manager.
On the flip side, Ernesto Valverde has lost both of his matches against Madrid as a coach and could become just the the second Barcelona manager to lose his first three in a row. Patrick O'Connell holds the dubious distinction of having lost four consecutive matches to Madrid, with the last coming in 1940.
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