Another layer was added to Barcelona’s fabled rivalry with Real Madrid when Luis Suarez signed for the Catalan outfit in 2014.
The Uruguayan’s arrival from Liverpool established a partnership with Lionel Messi and Neymar that would eventually be known as ‘MSN’.
And three years on, the trio are arguably the finest attacking line-up in European football.
We say arguably because Madrid’s offensive options aren’t too shabby, either. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale have both held the title as the world’s most expensive player, while Karim Benzema, often overlooked as a result of his flashy teammates, is one of the best No. 9s in the game.
It was MSN who came out on top in Sunday’s thrilling El Clasico, Messi grabbing the winner in the 92nd minute.
The battle between MSN and BBC would have captured the entire football world, but Zinedine Zidane hasn’t been able to rely on Gareth Bale in his time as Madrid’s manager.
Bale's injury-ravaged season
The Welshman has started just 17 La Liga games this season and was hauled off after 39 minutes on Sunday due to a calf injury.
When Bale has played, he’s been fantastic. He’s scored 67 goals in 149 appearances for Los Blancos, including memorable goals in the 2013-14 Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League finals.
Despite the injuries, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez would say Bale was worth the £85 million investment.
But, with his latest injury ruling him out of Madrid’s Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, there will be a lingering sense of: ‘what if?’ around the Bernabeu.
Bale's first meeting with CR7
You have to go back to 2009 for Bale’s first meeting with Ronaldo. It was in the 2009 Carling Cup final, when Manchester United defeated Tottenham Hotspur on penalties.
Bale actually started the game on the bench, and was only introduced in the first half of extra-time.
Despite injecting some much-needed energy into Harry Redknapp’s side, Bale was unable to prevent Spurs from falling to defeat.
Ronaldo scored United’s third penalty and, when David Bentley missed, it was left to Anderson to put away the match-winning penalty.
There is one moment where Bale managed to outpace his now-teammate, although we’ll put that down to fresh legs.
Watch Ronaldo and Bale’s first meeting below.
Video: Bale and CR7's first meeting
Video: Full highlights
You can also watch highlights from the match at Wembley Stadium.