A collector of hills, short on eight-thousanders – that’s the diagnosis, the essence of it. Sometimes it’s not about winning often, but winning when it truly matters. In that game that smells like a final, with a title-sized audience. Against a major rival, on a grand night. That remains Real Madrid’s unfinished task: to be a giant among giants. Beyond knocking out lesser opponents in modest arenas, they must rise when the fight moves to the Madison Square Garden. The problem isn’t so much the opponent’s size as the fact that the battle is away from home. That’s where Madrid’s biggest debt lies. It’s the wound of Xabi Alonso’s side – delivering when the stakes are highest. Shaking off their fear of altitude.
It’s the stain on their résumé. Fifteen games played, thirteen wins. A spectacular record, hardly reason for alarm. “We have to stay calm, we’re in a good place,” Thibaut Courtois said in Anfield’s corridors, trying to soothe both internal and external critics. Yet, before the same microphone, he admitted the obvious: “We must improve against strong teams, especially away from home... we’re doing very well at the Bernabéu, but away... we can improve a bit.” Clear enough. Black and white.
Only two defeats
And they tell a story. Madrid’s only two losses this season have come in their toughest away games – no coincidence, just unfinished business. The Metropolitano and Anfield. In that order. Two slips of different gravity. The derby was a collapse for the ages, humiliating and harsh; the Liverpool defeat, a milder fever – but a headache nonetheless. The kind that comes from déjà vu. Another big night, another fall.
A worrying record
This is not new. Madrid stumbled in nine key games last season – a staggering figure. It began at Anfield, again, with a 2-0 loss that foreshadowed their Champions League fate: 1-0 at the Metropolitano (escaped only through penalties) and a 3-0 drubbing at the Emirates. In La Liga, two Clásicos, two defeats: 0-4 and 4-3. At one point, Madrid went five straight Clásicos without a win – the first five under Flick. They also failed at San Mamés (2-1), one of the toughest away grounds in Spain, a minor footnote compared to what followed: the Copa del Rey semi-final, a chaotic 4-4 draw against Real Sociedad (3-4 in regulation), and then defeat in the final (3-2). The same outcome in the Supercopa, but even more painful (2-5).
The curse continues
Now comes Vallecas – another tricky venue, one Madrid haven’t conquered since 2022, when a lone Benzema goal sealed a narrow 1-0 win. Since then: three trips, three failures – 3-2, 1-1, and 3-3. “We’ve got a very tough game ahead; we need full focus... we have to win,” said Carreras after Anfield, his final words in the mixed zone. Another tough trip looms – another chance to settle a debt.
This season’s Clásico win (2-1) has exorcised a few ghosts, but the panorama remains a haunted mansion of old fears. Madrid lose rarely – but when they do, it’s usually against the big boys. It’s the same story in their recent history: a debt, an unfinished job. The road now leads to Vallecas, but before Christmas, they’ll visit San Mamés – a chance to make amends, or deepen the wound. The mission is clear: to be great again, against the greats. Beyond winning often, to win when it matters. To stop collecting hills... and start planting flags on the eight-thousanders.
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