'Crushing' Madrid: A Synonym for Victory for Barcelona in the Immediately Following Match

A characteristic that has identified FC Barcelona this season 2024-25 is their wide goal-scoring voracity, showing simply stellar scoring records. Interestingly, the Blaugrana team has demonstrated this overwhelming scoring power this season, among others, against their fierce rival, Real Madrid, a team they just defeated with a crushing 2-5 in the final of the Supercopa de España. 

In this 24-25 season, on matchday 11 of LaLiga EA Sports, they handed a 0-4 to Carlo Ancelotti's team at the Santiago Bernabéu. This consolidates the undeniable supremacy of the culé team over the merengues.

However, FC Barcelona must now put that indisputable victory over Real Madrid behind them and focus on their new challenge: the match against Real Betis in the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey 2024-25. A match that, in principle, the Catalan team, given the current sporting moment they are living, arrives with great favoritism that they must now confirm at home, the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

The precedents that support the high success rate of the culé team after 'crushing' Madrid

The favoritism of FC Barcelona for this match is also supported by an unexpected and anecdotal fact involving Real Madrid. Yes, the team from the City of Condal has been showing a great effectiveness in terms of victories after thrashing the white team. While this does not guarantee victory for the Barcelona club, it may establish a pattern that Hansi Flick's team will seek to maintain.

For example, the most recent thrashing of FC Barcelona against Real Madrid, prior to the Supercopa de España, also occurred this season 2024-25 and was the aforementioned 0-4 at the Santiago Bernabéu on matchday 11 of LaLiga, where goals from Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha (x2), and Lamine Yamal added up to a vindicating victory.

How did they fare in the next match they played after that duel?

It was a victory on matchday 12 of LaLiga on November 3, 2024. Barcelona overcame RCD Espanyol 3-1 in Montjuïc. In that match, Dani Olmo scored a brace, complemented by a goal from Raphinha.

Prior to that, in terms of thrashings by Barcelona over the merengue team, there is the 0-4 from matchday 29 of LaLiga in the 2021-22 season. This match was resolved with a brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a goal from Ronald Araujo, and another from Ferran Torres.

How did they fare in the next match they played after that duel?

Almost two weeks later, on April 3, FC Barcelona ended up defeating Sevilla by the minimum (1-0). In that match against the Seville team, the only Blaugrana goal came courtesy of Pedri González.

Before that, the most resounding thrashing that Barcelona had inflicted on Real Madrid was on matchday 10 of LaLiga 2018-19, when the team from the City of Condal ended up winning 5-1. The feast for the Barcelona club was completed with goals from Coutinho, Arturo Vidal, and a hat-trick from Luis Suárez.

How did they fare in the next match they played after that duel?

In the next match, Cultural Leonesa fell to Barcelona by a narrow 0-1, in a match that took place on October 31. These precedents, while not marking the trend of the match, certainly speak to how well the culé team usually approaches their matches after thrashing their eternal rival. Will they manage to impose themselves on Betis?