‘Mourinho was a born winner – he pushed us, he took us to the limit. Real had gone too long without winning and a club of that magnitude couldn’t allow that to happen’ Marcelo on Jose Mourinho’s El Clasico impact at Real Madrid

Real Madrid and Barcelona’s rivalry is perhaps the most-talked-about in world football.

For more than 120 years, the two sides have played out one of global sport’s fiercest fixtures, with either side of the divide carrying opposing political positions and identity.

Away from the politics and rivalry, El Clasico has also served up some of the best matches in recent years - not least in the early 2010s, when Jose Mourinho’s Madrid side were at their confrontational best.

Marcelo on Mourinho and El Clasico

Brazilian defender Marcelo spent a decade-and-a-half at the Bernabeu and therefore has plenty of El Clásico memories when it comes to selecting his favourite.

“I’d choose two,” the Brazilian tells FourFourTwo. “The first is my goal at Camp Nou in the second leg of the 2011 Champions League semi-final. It’s a bittersweet memory because we were unable to win the tie.

“The second came that same season, in the Copa del Rey final that we won thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s extra-time goal. During the Pep Guardiola era, a period of Barça dominance, winning that Copa del Rey was a relief and a source of great pride in the dressing room.”

When it comes to the most challenging Clásico he ever played in, his answer will surprise no-one.

“The 5-0 defeat at Camp Nou in 2010-11,” he admits. “Barcelona gave us a footballing lesson. Although we didn’t start badly, the goals kept coming and the feeling of helplessness grew.

“It was a tough Clásico to experience from the pitch because we never had a real chance

of getting back into the match. At 4-0, with 10 minutes left, we all wanted to head for the dressing room, because the comeback was impossible.”

In that game, and several other Clasicos, full-back Marcelo had the misfortune of coming up against prime Lionel Messi during these peak Real-Barca years.

“Saying that it was difficult would be an understatement,” Marcelo says. “At times, facing Messi was a nightmare…”

This was also a period during which coaches Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho were able to crank up the intensity and tension between the two sides.

"We did everything we could to counter that Barça side, which for many was the best in history,” the 37-year-old continues. “Mourinho was a born winner – he pushed us, he took us to the limit. Real had gone too long without winning and a club of that magnitude couldn’t allow that to happen.

“We went into every Clasico with the conviction of competing with great personality, and from there the sparks emerged.”