Every El Clasico is high-stakes, but this Saturday’s clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona (20:00 BST) carries extra weight, as Real Madrid stands on the brink of history.
Carlo Ancelotti’s squad is just one match away—either a win or a draw—from matching La Liga’s longest-ever unbeaten streak. The reigning Spanish champions last tasted defeat 13 months ago, with their unbeaten stretch now spanning 42 games.
It’s fitting that Real Madrid’s next challenge comes against their arch-rivals, Barcelona, who currently hold the record with a 43-game unbeaten run achieved between 2017 and 2018.
Stars like Valverde and Vinicius Jr. have been key contributors to Real’s impressive streak, marked by dominant stats throughout their campaign.
Real Madrid, however, faced a setback over a year ago when they suffered a 3-1 loss to Atletico Madrid on September 24, 2023.
Since then, Real Madrid has gone on an impressive run of 31 wins and 11 draws, remaining undefeated throughout. This exceptional streak led them to clinch last season’s La Liga title with a 10-point margin and saw them go unbeaten in the Champions League, culminating in a victory over Borussia Dortmund in the final.
In terms of players, Uruguay’s often-underrated defensive midfielder, Federico Valverde, has been pivotal to Real’s success, missing only one match in the entire run. Meanwhile, no player has scored more league goals for Real Madrid since their last loss to Atletico than Vinicius Junior, who has netted 19 times.
Following closely is England’s Jude Bellingham, who has contributed 14 goals, making him the team’s second-highest league scorer in this period.
How does Real Madrid’s run compare to Barcelona’s?
To maintain their exclusive record, Barcelona must defeat Real Madrid this Saturday.
Barcelona’s historic unbeaten streak began with a 3-2 win over Real Sociedad in April 2017 and lasted until a 5-4 defeat to Levante in May 2018, leaving them just two matches short of an entire season without a loss. Comparing the two records, Barcelona’s squad from six years ago holds a slight offensive advantage.
During Barca’s 43-game run, Lionel Messi was in dazzling form, contributing to 58 goals. By contrast, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham have so far combined for 48 goal involvements in their streak.
Barcelona also notched up more wins (34 to Real’s 31) and points (111 to Real’s 104), although Real has played one game fewer.
Defensively, Real Madrid has a stronger record, achieving 23 clean sheets to Barcelona’s 19 and conceding fewer goals overall (27 for Real, 33 for Barcelona).
Real Madrid’s streak has also benefited from continuity in management, with Carlo Ancelotti overseeing the entire run, whereas Ernesto Valverde took charge for Barcelona following Luis Enrique’s departure at the end of the 2016-17 season.
The other longest unbeaten runs in Europe
Will Real Madrid reach that coveted 43-game mark?
The odds seem to favor them. Real Madrid has clashed with Barcelona three times since their streak began, emerging victorious on all three occasions—twice in La Liga and once in the Spanish Supercopa final.
If they manage to avoid defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu this Saturday, they’ll have not only equaled Barcelona’s record but also put themselves in a position to chase the all-time unbeaten record in Europe’s top five leagues: Bayern Munich’s 53-game run, set in March 2014.
SOURCE: BBC
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