Everything you need to know about Atletico Madrid v Barcelona

Los Rojiblancos and Los Azulgranas have been facing each other in LaLiga Santander for decades and here’s all you need to know about how this rivalry has developed through the ages.

Since LaLiga Santander began in 1929, Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona have faced each other a total of 170 times in league matches, with this fixture pitting two of the most successful teams in LaLiga against each other each season.

When was the first Atlético de Madrid v FC Barcelona match played?

One of the main curiosities of FC Barcelona v Atlético de Madrid is when they played their first match in LaLiga Santander. It was in the 1928-29 season, specifically on 10 March 1929, with Atleti running out 4-1 winners. Los Colchoneros, who were playing at their home stadium, beat Barça in the first match between these two storied LaLiga teams thanks to braces from Cosme and Yllera. Parera scored Barça’s consolation that day, while it was Cosme, who scored after five minutes, who netted the first goal in the history of Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona's LaLiga clashes.

Who has won this match more times, Atlético de Madrid or FC Barcelona?

The historic record favours Barça, who’ve picked up 76 wins in 170 matches against Atleti. Los Rojiblancos, meanwhile, have managed to beat FC Barcelona on 52 occasions. The two teams have tied in 42 matches.

Which player has played the most Atlético de Madrid v FC Barcelona matches?

Across almost a century of LaLiga football, many of the very best players in league history have represented these sides. Since the turn of the century, however, Lionel Messi is the player who has played this precious encounter the most times, with a total of 30 matches against Atlético. He is followed by Andrés Iniesta with 26, and Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique, both of whom played 25 times against Los Colchoneros. For Atleti, current captain Koke Resurrección leads the way with 22 appearances in this classic league encounter.

Which player has scored the most goals in Atlético de Madrid v FC Barcelona matches?

The top scorer in the history of Barça v Atleti is, unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi, with a total of 26 goals in 30 matches. These numbers are only within reach of the best. César Rodríguez, the second-highest scorer, also played for Barça, while Paco Campos (12) and Fernando Torres (8) have led the way against the Catalans for Atleti.

The highest-scoring FC Barcelona v Atlético de Madrid match was back in 2006-07, when Los Blaugrana beat Atleti 6-0 at their old Estadio Vicente Calderón. The locals had almost no answer to the attacking thrust of the visitors, who came out on top thanks to goals from Messi (2), Gianluca Zambrotta, Samuel Eto’o, Ronaldinho and Andrés Iniesta.