One of the most iconic moments in any Barcelona-Real Madrid clash was the image of a pig’s head thrown onto the field in the direction of Figo. 23-11-2002: a warm welcome. baby pig's head thrown towards Luis Figo pic.twitter.com/awSCwNaLCp — AS USA (@English_AS) April 16, 2014

The head in question can just be spotted - to the left of the corner flag Essentially this is a love story, just one that happens to involve the severed head of a suckling pig. You may already know how it all began, when Barcelona's most admired player of the time, Luis Figo, left to join Real Madrid in 2000.

Figo moving to Real Madrid in 2000 was the turning point. El Clasico, though, is an evolving story. Barcelona are now more likely to splash the cash on playthings they don’t necessarily need – Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann – as the ‘mes que un club’ mantra has increasingly worn away. In Madrid, the opposite has happened.

Most El Clásico Appearances #1. Sergio Ramos — 44 games #2. Lionel Messi — 43 games #3. Manuel Sanchís — 42 games #3. Francisco Gento — 42 games #3. Xavi — 42 games #6. Andrés Iniesta — 38 games #6. Sergio Busquets — 38 games