Real Madrid losing the battle for air supremacy in defence

In the 34th minute of Saturday’s match between Betis and Real Madrid, the hosts won a corner kick. In the heart of Madrid’s penalty area, Johnny Cardoso rose high and headed the ball point-blank past Courtois, who had no time to react. It leveled the score at a crucial point of the match. It also brought up the 24th goal conceded by Real Madrid in 26 league matches this season...

Things got even worse for the visitors in the second half when Isco increased that number to 25, converting a penalty after a Rüdiger foul on Jesús Rodríguez. It means that Real Madrid have conceded an average of nearly one goal per match (0.96 goals per game).

Last season, Real Madrid won the league title, conceding only 26 goals right the way through the competition from start to finish, with 21 clean sheets in 38 games. Yet, with 12 matches still to go in the current campaign, the goals conceded column already stands at 25 - just one shy of last season’s total. As for keeping clean sheets, they have managed to keep their opponents out in just 10 matches.

It is Madrid’s worst defensive record at this stage of the competition since the 2018–19 season, when the team ultimately finished third, conceding 31 goals.

What’s even more concerning is that Cardoso’s goal mirrors one scored by Muriqi during the season opener against Mallorca back in August — a game that ended in a 1–1 draw. The play was nearly identical, just with different protagonists. While Isco delivered the corner kick for Betis, it was Dani Rodríguez who took the set piece at the Lluis Sitjar, targeting the space between the center of Madrid’s penalty area and the far post. In Seville, Cardoso connected; and in Mallorca, Muriqi.

It’s striking how easily Madrid is caught off guard in set-piece situations, especially given their height in defence: Courtois (6′7″), Rüdiger (6′3″), and Tchouaméni (6′2″). For instance, Cardoso stands at 6′1″, the same height as Raúl Asencio, who was benched during the match. Against Betis, Madrid managed to win just two aerial duels, courtesy of Tchouaméni and Camavinga. In contrast, Betis won six, triple Madrid’s total.

Madrid’s defensive struggles in the air were also evident during their draw at Vallecas against Rayo Vallecano. In that match, the team conceded two headed goals—one from Unai López following a cross from the right flank, and another from Mumin, again from a corner kick.

Madrid and Celta: LaLiga’s weakest teams in the air

So far this season, Ancelotti’s side has conceded 10 headed goals across all competitions, the same number as Celta Vigo and the highest in this category. Madrid is clearly losing the aerial battle.

The struggles weren’t limited to aerial battles against Betis—their dominance extended when the ball was on the ground as well. The Verdiblancos pounded Courtois’ goal 18 times - the highest number of attempts on target any La Liga team has managed against Real Madrid this season. Across all competitions, this ranks as the third-highest shot count Madrid has faced, trailing only Brest (23 shots) and Atalanta (20). Notably, all three matches took place away from the Bernabéu. In spite of that, Madrid triumphed in both of their Champions League encounters, defeating Brest 3–0 and Atalanta 3–2.

Madrid’s form on the road

This season, Madrid has recorded six wins, five draws, and three losses away from home in La Liga. By comparison, last season they suffered only one away defeat (a 3–1 loss to Atlético) and registered five draws—identical to their current tally. Under Ancelotti’s leadership, Madrid secured an impressive 13 wins out of 19 away fixtures during the previous campaign.

In summary, Real Madrid has lost its momentum in the last five La Liga matches, managing just one win—a 2–0 victory against Girona at the Bernabéu—alongside two defeats and two draws. This leaves them with a mere five points out of a possible 15. Adding to their troubles, they haven’t secured a win in any of their last three away league games. They suffered defeats against Espanyol and Betis, and earned just a single point from a draw at El Sadar.

It marks the first time since May 2023 that Madrid has gone three consecutive away games without a win during a single season. Back then, they lost to Girona (4–2, Matchday 31), Real Sociedad (2–0, Matchday 33), and Valencia (1–0, Matchday 35).

Looking ahead, they face challenging visits to Villarreal, Alavés, Getafe, Barcelona, and Sevilla—making their road to recovery anything but straightforward.

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