“An 18-year-old Messi walked into the Bernabéu for his first ever La Liga Clásico and played with no sense of stage fright, combining constantly with Ronaldinho and Eto’o in a 3–0 statement win. His sharp assist for Eto’o and fearless dribbling against Real Madrid’s stars felt like a preview of the dominance he would later exert over this fixture for more than a decade.”