The Strange Curse of La Liga: Teams that Strive to Earn Points Against Real Madrid Tend to Stumble in the Following Round

According to Spanish newspaper AS, although defeating Real Madrid is a matter of pride for many teams, these teams seem to fall into some kind of ‘curse’ subsequently. In the past two seasons, 80% of the teams that earned points against Real Madrid stumbled in their next match.

Real Madrid introduced Mbappe in the new season; however, the team’s performance at the beginning of the season was like a roller coaster ride, with two draws in the first four league rounds. Mallorca and Las Palmas drew with Real Madrid at home, during which Real Madrid appeared somewhat powerless and their coordination seemed less fluid. However, upon returning to the Santiago Bernabeu, Ancelotti’s team quickly adjusted their state, successively defeating Valladolid and Betis.

Interestingly, teams that manage to earn points from Real Madrid often suffer a defeat in their following game. For example, shortly after defeating Real Madrid, Mallorca lost 0-1 to Osasuna; Las Palmas also lost 0-2 to Alaves. This phenomenon has almost become a rule, let’s take a look at the report card of these ‘unlucky ones’:

Round 10 of the 23/24 season: Sevilla 1-1 Real Madrid; Round 11: Cadiz 2-2 Sevilla Round 12 of the 23/24 season: Real Madrid 0-0 Rayo Vallecano; Round 13: Rayo Vallecano 1-2 Girona Round 16 of the 23/24 season: Betis 1-1 Real Madrid; Round 17: Real Sociedad 0-0 Betis Round 23 of the 23/24 season: Real Madrid 1-1 Atletico Madrid; Round 24: Sevilla 1-0 Atletico Madrid Round 25 of the 23/24 season: Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Real Madrid; Round 26: Girona 3-0 Rayo Vallecano Round 37 of the 23/24 season: Villarreal 4-4 Real Madrid; Round 38: Osasuna 1-1 Villarreal Round 1 of the 24/25 season: Mallorca 1-1 Real Madrid; Round 2: Osasuna 1-0 Mallorca Round 3 of the 24/25 season: Las Palmas 1-1 Real Madrid; Round 4: Alaves 2-0 Las Palmas

The reason behind this is generally believed to be due to the physical exertion and mental pressure brought about by facing one of the world’s top teams.

Of course, there are always exceptions. Atletico Madrid and Valencia both avoided the curse and won their subsequent games after earning points from Real Madrid. As for the 0-0 draw between Real Madrid and Betis in the last round of the 23/24 season, since it was the last game of the season, there was naturally no so-called ‘curse’ effect. Therefore, for those teams hoping to challenge Real Madrid, these examples might provide them with some comfort.