download All Football App

Barcelona have not won a Clasico without Messi since his debut in 2004

  /  autty

Opta numbers show Lionel Messi has played in every Barcelona victory in the Clásico since he made his debut for the club in 2004.

Barcelona will face their first Clásico since 2007 without Lionel Messi after the Catalans' captain sustained a fractured arm against Sevilla. Messi had already set one goal up and scored another in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash at Camp Nou before he fell awkwardly. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was in obvious pain, although Barça's medical team dressed his right arm and it initially appeared as though he may attempt to play on.

Messi was withdrawn after a long delay, however, and Barça confirmed in a statement after their 4-2 win that tests showed a fracture in his right arm. It means next Sunday's match between Barça and Real Madrid will be the first Clásico without either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo for 11 years.

Messi's stats in El Clásico

Using Opta numbers, we assess Messi's record in one of the world's most important football fixtures.

38 - Messi has played in 38 Clásico matches for Barça, with the Catalan side winning 17 of those meetings and losing 12

26 - The Barça captain has scored 26 goals against Real Madrid, finding the net in four of his last five appearances in the Clásico

2 - Messi has twice scored a Clásico hat-trick, the first coming in March 2007 and the second coming seven years later at the Santiago Bernabéu

8 - Of Messi's 38 appearances in the Clásico, eight have come in finals, including the Spanish Super Cup. In those games, he has scored six times.

35 - Messi has featured in 35 consecutive Clásico matches for Barça, last missing a meeting with Madrid in 2007 when he had a thigh injury

2 - Barça have played two Clásicos without Messi since his debut, with Frank Rijkaard's side drawing 1-1 at home in 2006 and losing 1-0 away the following year