He The Classic The rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid is essential television every time the two LaLiga giants play. The level of talent on both sides of the ball is unmatched and has led to dramatic encounters and memorable moments.
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What Barcelona and Real Madrid have given us over the years in terms of entertainment also paid off for the Spanish team, especially between 2008 and 2012.
Spain’s dominant run in world football began by winning Euro 2008 after remaining undefeated and winning all three knockout round matches with a clean sheet. It was their second Euro title and first since 1964.
The World Cup, however, was a different story. The RedRussia’s best performance came in 1950, with a fourth place finish when only 13 nations participated.
Spain entered the 2010 World Cup having been eliminated in the round of 16 in the 2006 tournament. But now the squad was filled with names from all over the world, including a total of 12 members from Barcelona and Real Madrid. Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Iker Casillas, Xabi Alonso were just some of the names of the The Classic rivalry that was at the disposal of coach Vicente del Bosque.
(THOMAS COEX via Getty Images)
It was a bumpy start for Spain after a Gelson Fernandes goal gave Switzerland a 1-0 victory to start the tournament. A David Villa brace against Honduras gave the Spaniards their first points during a 2-0 victory.
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Spain faced elimination entering the final group stage match against leader Chile. Tied on three points with Switzerland, Del Bosque’s team got goals from Villa and Iniesta to beat Chile 2-1, while the Swiss finished with a goalless draw with Honduras, ending their chances of advancing.
En route to the final, Spain put in a strong defensive performance, beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal, Paraguay, Germany and the Netherlands 1-0 to win the title.
It was Iniesta, the master of the midfield, who scored in extra time to break the hearts of the Dutch.
All eight goals scored by Spain during the 2010 World Cup came from Barcelona players, and Villa finished as the tournament’s top scorer with five. Real Madrid’s Casillas recorded five clean sheets and was named the Golden Glove winner.
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What influence did Barcelona and Real Madrid have on Spain’s success in 2010? The European giants had 10 of the 11 starters in the final.
Spain’s success continued two years later, when the reigning European Championship and World Cup champions again won the European Championship after allowing just one goal in six games.
Nine of the starting eleven in the final against Italy were players from Barcelona or Real Madrid.