Real Madrid are one game away from equaling the all-time La Liga record for consecutive unbeaten games.
Carlo Ancelotti’s domestic and continental champions have not experienced defeat in Spain’s top flight since losing to Atletico Madrid in September 2023, 13 months ago. a narrow 2-1 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday night extended Madrid’s unbeaten run to 42 La Liga games, one less than Barcelona’s 2017-18 run.
Fittingly, the capital giants have the chance to match that high-water mark when they take on their arch-rivals in Saturday’s Clasico at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Longest unbeaten runs in League history
|
classification |
team |
duration |
games |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
Barcelona |
April 2017 – May 2018 |
43 |
|
2. |
Real Madrid |
September 2023 – present |
42* |
|
3. |
Royal Society |
April 1979 – May 1980 |
38 |
|
4= |
Real Madrid |
May 1988 – April 1989 |
31 |
|
4= |
Barcelona |
September 2010 – April 2011 |
31 |
|
6= |
Real Madrid |
November 1989 – September 1990 |
29 |
|
6= |
Real Madrid |
April 1996 – February 1997 |
29 |
|
8. |
Real Madrid |
March 2016 – January 2017 |
28 |
|
9. |
Real Madrid |
September 1968 – March 1969 |
27 |
* The race is still ongoing
List of longest unbeaten streaks The League The story is predictably dominated by two familiar names. But this current iteration of Real Madrid has had to overcome Real Sociedad’s run of 38 unbeaten runs to sneak into second place.
Remarkably, that golden generation of Basque football, which took place between April 1979 and the summer of 1980, did not result in a league title. Real Sociedad did not lose their first game of the 1979/80 La Liga campaign until the penultimate weekend, but that relegation, combined with 14 draws, allowed Madrid to claim top spot. The following season, Real Sociedad lost nine league games but went on to win the title. Go to the figure.
If Madrid must agree BarcelonaThe feat of ‘, would be a moment worthy of celebration, but when a team led by Ernesto Valverde marked that milestone in May 2018, it was barely recognised.
“When you win the league, it seems simple,” Valverde said at the time. Lionel Messi had to make a rare public statement to remind his fans not to take this triumph for granted.
“We’ve had bad moments and we’ve overcome them without losing, which is incredible,” insisted the talismanic forward. We have to value this league, enjoy it and celebrate it.”
The shrug of recognition Barcelona received stemmed from their continental failures. The Blaugrana had thrown away a 4-1 first-leg lead over Roma in the Champions League quarter-finals, sending the club into a “depressed state”, to use Valverde’s words.
This Barcelona side had finished with the league title and won the 2018 Copa del Rey before surprisingly losing their first game in 13 months against a relegation-fighting Levante side. Even the players who helped the Valencian team to a 5-4 victory were surprised. “We couldn’t believe it,” acknowledged Levante’s José Luis Morales, “we were a little surprised.”
It would not be a great surprise if Barcelona prevents Real Madrid to match his record this weekend. The Catalan giants have enjoyed a splendid start to the campaign under Hansi Flick, playing an exciting brand of full-speed football that has resulted in nine wins and 33 goals in ten league games. Madrid, on the other hand, is lucky to only surpass Barcelona by three points.
After watching his side escape Vigo on Sunday with an ill-deserved three points, Ancelotti admitted: “We are having a lot of problems.”
A new hybrid formation robbed the visitors of any solidity. As Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe argued with each other, the capital club had to be rescued by an individual record. Luka Modric came off the bench to tee up Vinicius’ winner, becoming the the oldest player in the club’s history in the process
Madrid will need their timeless 39-year-old to be at his best if they are to make another piece of history this weekend.
