Real Madrid: airtight for the ages and eyeing all-time record
Zinedine Zidane has guided Los Blancos to a 34th LaLiga title, but a clean sheet against Leganés on Sunday will also see them into the record books.
Real Madrid are on the verge of matching the best defensive numbers of its more than 90-year league history. With only 23 goals conceded thus far, the long-standing record will be beaten by just a slither - 0.053 if you’re counting - after a 38-game season. In order to do so, Courtois or Areola will have to leave the field in Butarque having not conceded, something that they have already managed 18 times in this LaLiga campaign.
Real Madrid require one more clean sheet
The good work shown this year by the two goalkeepers combined with their defensive unit ahead of them has paid off. The Belgian stopper in particular appears to have overcome the early criticism and is now one of Zidane’s key men.
Assuming Los Blancos can prevent Leganés from scoring on Sunday evening, they will finish the league with 23 goals in the against column across the entire 38 matches, providing an average of 0.6053 goals per game. Many would argue that it is level with the 18 goals that Miguel Muñoz's Madrid conceded in 30 games in the 1964-65 season, at a rate of 0.6 goals per game but it is another achievement that fans of the club can point to as the club looks to improve on what has been an up and down, yet ultimately successful campaign. It’s worth noting that only one other side, the third of the five La Quinta del Buitre leagues (1987-88), managed to keep their goals against average under 0.7, with 26 goals in 38 games, three more than where the current side it at now.
Real Madrid best 10 defensive records in LaLiga
| Season | Games played | Goals conceded | Average |
| 1964-65 | 30 | 18 | 0.6000 |
| 2019-20 | 37 | 23 | 0.6216 |
| 1987-88 | 38 | 26 | 0.6842 |
| 1968-69 | 30 | 21 | 0.7000 |
| 1966-67 | 30 | 22 | 0.7333 |
| 1982-83 | 34 | 25 | 0.7353 |
| 1992-93 | 38 | 28 | 0.7368 |
| 1994-95 | 38 | 29 | 0.7632 |
| 1975-76 | 34 | 26 | 0.7647 |
| 1963-64 | 30 | 23 | 0.7667 |
Source: BDFútbol
Madrid have managed to average less than one goal per game in 33 league seasons. In absolute terms, this would be Madrid's sixth best historical defensive record, although never on a 38-game schedule. In the 1931-32 and 1932-33 seasons the team ended the league with 15 and 17 goals against respectively, but at that time the competition only had ten clubs involved and the calendar only 18 matches.
Seasons with least goals conceded by Real Madrid in LaLiga
| Season | Games played | Goals conceded | Average |
| 1931-32 | 18 | 15 | 0.8333 |
| 1932-33 | 18 | 17 | 0.9444 |
| 1964-65 | 30 | 18 | 0.6000 |
| 1968-69 | 30 | 21 | 0.7000 |
| 1966-67 | 30 | 22 | 0.7333 |
| 2019-20 | 37 | 23 | 0.6216 |
| 1963-64 | 30 | 23 | 0.7667 |
| 1970-71 | 30 | 24 | 0.8000 |
| 1961-62 | 30 | 24 | 0.8000 |
| 1982-83 | 34 | 25 | 0.7353 |
Source: BDFútbol
In the 1960s, in championships with 16 participants and 30 matches, Madrid made defensive solidity one of their hallmarks. In addition to the aforementioned record of 1964-65, in 1968-69 they conceded 21 goals (0.7 average); in 1966-67, 22 (0.73); and in 1963-64, the same 23 as now (0.77).