LALIGA
Real Madrid chase Barcelona’s “impossible” record
The latest win over Espanyol brings Carlo Ancelotti’s team one step closer to eclipsing the feat achieved by their eternal rivals.
An entire league season without losing: it’s an achievement that’s easier said than done. Although the current streak is split across the last 32 matchdays of the 2023-24 campaign and the first six of this season, Real Madrid can, however, proudly boast 38 consecutive LaLiga matches without a defeat. And now the all-time record is within sight, just a few games away. Barcelona currently holds this with 43 unbeaten matches, set between April 15, 2017, and May 13, 2018.
Los Blancos’ pursuit of that record has been guided by Carlo Ancelotti. While Barcelona’s streak was a shared effort between Luis Enrique (the first seven matches) and Ernesto Valverde (the next 36), Carletto is closing in on the record single-handedly.
When can Real Madrid beat Barcelona’s LaLiga unbeaten record?
The path to achieving this record is pretty much set and, as fate would have it, the crucial game could be an iconic one. Madrid already knows the dates and times for their next four LaLiga fixtures – against Alavés, Atlético, Villarreal, and Celta. The fifth match, tentatively scheduled for October 27 but yet to be confirmed, could be the one where they equal the record… and it happens to be El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu. Should Madrid emerge from the biggest clash in Spanish football unscathed, they would equal the record and could claim it outright the following week at Mestalla against Valencia.
In this 38-match unbeaten streak, Madrid’s numbers are staggering. They’ve secured 28 wins and 10 draws, scoring 89 goals (an average of 2.35 per game) while conceding just 20 (0.52 per game). This dominance has already earned them a league title and keeps them in close contention with Barcelona for another.
When did Real Madrid last lose in LaLiga?
That late October Clásico will be the second major test for Madrid in their quest to reach 43 matches unbeaten. First, though, is the Madrid derby this coming Sunday, a challenge in itself, as their last visit to the Metropolitano, exactly a year ago, ended in a 3-1 defeat – Madrid’s most recent league loss. A heated month lies ahead.
Champions League obstacle for Madrid
On the road to that Clásico showdown and the unbeaten record, Madrid faces two demanding encounters that will raise the stakes rather than provide any respite. These come in the form of their renewed Champions League campaign – where another record is being chased – which they’re still adjusting to.
On October 2, Ancelotti’s side will make their first UCL away visit of the season to face Lille, a team under pressure this stage of the campaign. Lille, where Kylian Mbappé's younger brother Ethan plays, narrowly qualified for the competition by a single goal over Slavia Prague and lost 2-0 in their opener against Sporting Lisbon. Domestically, things aren’t much better – they currently sit ninth in Ligue 1.
And just before hosting Barça, Madrid will welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Bernabéu, their opponent you’ll remember in the most recent Champions League final, adding even more intensity to an already challenging month.