Six Barcelona debutants chase a place alongside Messi and Maradona in El Clasico

Six players could make their first appearance in El Clasico with Barcelona on the brink of a landmark achievement: scoring against Real Madrid in their debut meeting with the club.

Xavi Espart, Rodri, Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Gabriel Jesus and Hamza Abdelkarim are all waiting for their first taste of one of football’s most famous fixtures, according to Mundo Deportivo. A goal would place them in a celebrated group of Barcelona players who found the net in their first El Clasico against Real Madrid.

The occasion carries importance beyond personal milestones. Victory would provide Barcelona with a significant boost in the La Liga title race, while scoring on a first appearance against the club’s greatest rivals remains a rare achievement in any player’s career.

A list featuring Barcelona legends

Several of Barcelona’s most distinguished players have made an immediate impact in the fixture over the decades.

In the 21st century, Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldinho both scored in Barcelona’s 3-0 victory during the 2004-05 season. Lionel Messi then produced one of the most memorable debut performances in 2006-07, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic settled the contest with the only goal in a 1-0 win during the 2009-10 season. Neymar scored on his first league appearance in El Clasico in 2013-14, when Barcelona won 2-1.

Arturo Vidal continued the sequence by scoring in the 5-1 victory during the 2018-19 season. Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan also scored in their respective debuts, although Barcelona lost both matches 2-1.

Ferran Torres was the latest player listed from the modern era, scoring in Barcelona’s emphatic 4-0 victory at Santiago Bernabeu during the 2021-22 season.

Maradona, Romario and historic first appearances

The tradition extends well beyond the modern era and includes some of the most enduring names in Barcelona’s history.

During the 1978-79 season, Austria forward Hansi Krankl scored his only goal at Barcelona’s stadium against Real Madrid during his first season with the club.

Bernd Schuster and Kenny Dalglish both scored in a 2-1 victory in 1981-82. Diego Maradona followed in the next campaign, scoring Barcelona’s opening goal in another 2-1 win.

Gary Lineker made a spectacular start in 1986-87 by scoring a hat-trick against Real Madrid. Ronald Koeman then scored twice from the penalty spot in a 3-1 victory during the 1989-90 season.

Romario became central to one of the fixture’s most famous results during the era of Barcelona’s “Dream Team”. He scored in the historic 5-0 win and was remembered for using his celebrated “cow’s tail” dribble against defender Alcorta.

Meho Kodro scored twice in a 3-0 victory in 1995-96, before Ronaldo Nazario added his name to the El Clasico record in the following season. Sonny Anderson then scored in another 3-0 win during the 1997-98 campaign.