4 Reasons Why Real Madrid's Unbeaten-Run Achievement Is Better Than Barcelona's
Real Madrid's latest epic comeback saw them overhaul a 3-1 deficit to draw 3-3 at Sevilla on Thursday night in the Copa del Rey, winning 6-3 on aggregate and moving into the quarter-finals as a result.
Aside from progression in the cup, Real's retaliation meant they kept their unbeaten run intact, which stretches to 40 games in all competitions—a Spanish record, surpassing Barcelona's 39-game run from last season.
Both records are phenomenal, with both teams displaying a range of hallmarks of champions in the process, but it's this year's run, Real Madrid's, that is more impressive overall.
Outright Record and Chance to Improve
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The premise still stood even if Real Madrid hadn't sneaked a draw at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, but now that Los Blancos have the record outright, it's another arm of the argument in their favour.
It's too simple to suggest Real outdid Barca because they've gone one game further in their unbeaten streak. But having the chance to extend the record by another handful of games could be a marker indeed. Given how long records of this kind usually stand for, to do it just one year after Barcelona's run is all the more impressive.
For Real to extend the run won't be easy, however. As hard as they fought against Sevilla to sneak a draw in the Copa del Rey, they'll have to do it all over again in the next fixture: the same opposition at the same ground but in La Liga. With Sevilla sat second, just four points behind Real Madrid, there's even more reason for the Andalucian side to be motivated and give everything to beat Zinedine Zidane's men.
After that, though, it's Malaga, Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo and Osasuna—a streak that will test but perhaps not outright trouble Los Blancos...if they are on top form.
More Top-Tier Opponents
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In direct contrast to Barcelona's run of games, Real Madrid can point to having had to come through more matches against more elite clubs.
It's partly circumstance that Real's run began midseason and that they embarked on a run to the UEFA Champions League final—only elite teams there, thank you very much—but the point is they faced them, vanquished them and were successful. At the very least, whenever they have come up against the finest clubs around, they haven't been bested.
Villarreal have twice been put to the sword. So, too, Atletico Madrid. Barcelona were held at the Camp Nou, Borussia Dortmund twice weren't able to beat Madrid and Manchester City the same over two legs last season. Sevilla can count themselves on the list three times—with the chance of a fourth on Sunday.
All told, it's a dozen games against the top sides and counting.
Trophies
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Perhaps the only important measure of how good a team's run is relates to how much silverware it brings them. After all, a six-game win streak in October can still end up in relegation come May, while drawing two semi-finals, progressing on away goals and winning the final brings a trophy.
Real Madrid have managed to combine both a record-breaking run and picking up multiple titles along the way, quickly turning newbie manager Zidane into one of the most decorated coaches in Spanish football.
Barcelona, it shouldn't be forgotten, won the FIFA Club World Cup in the midst of their run, seeing off River Plate in the final, but with their run coming midseason, that was one of only a few standout big-game fixtures. They also won one of their Copa del Rey semi-final legs (they drew the other, and although they won the Copa, their unbeaten streak had been ended before then—by Real Madrid) and hammered Real 4-0 in El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Madrid, by contrast, have won twice at Anoeta, a notoriously difficult ground for both Barca and Real of late, beaten Man City in the Champions League semi-final, won the Champions League, then the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
In addition, their notable matches in isolation included a draw in El Clasico and thrashing Atletico in the derby.
It's a more comprehensive set of results and a far bigger trophy haul into the bargain.
Bouncebackability
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Technical quality and tactical organisation are, of course, huge parts of any successful team's approach, but equally important—and horribly overlooked at times—is their mental strength and resilience.
A team can go far with the right desire and application; just look at the commitment in sides that escape relegation each season. They can go even further, however, when they have unwavering trust in themselves, their coach and the game plan, ensuring that no match is ever given up as a lost cause, no matter how bleak the outlook.
For proof of that, Real Madrid don't need to look any further than their last game, in which Sevilla were two goals to the good with just seven minutes to play. They didn't give up, and they didn't let the scoreline or the situation worry them; they had enough luck, determination and quality to squeeze another positive result out.
No fewer than 10 times in their initial 39 matches—11 in 40 now—Real Madrid came from behind to either draw or win, showing incredible resilience and self-belief to do so. It's better to not be behind at all, but that's not possible all the time.
Against smaller sides, Real have conceded early, bounced back and thrashed their opponents. But when coming from behind against top-quality teams and having little time to rectify the scoreline, it's even more impressive.
To do so time and time again shows Real's fortitude; to do so against the likes of Barcelona, Sevilla and Villarreal shows their quality.
Barcelona, for what it's worth, managed seven comebacks in their 39-game run; the eighth would have had to have been against a 10-man Real Madrid but for Cristiano Ronaldo's goal in the 85th minute.
And the Counterargument
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Barcelona's run was exceptional, and there's no denying that theirs had aspects that Madrid's does not (yet) contain.
First and foremost, the team that ended their run and taken their record, Real Madrid, have been unable to beat Barcelona during their own run—whereas Barca did win El Clasico, with a resounding 4-0 result. In addition, while Real's run has spanned two seasons, the break in the middle can be argued to have had a rejuvenating effect and also offered the chance to win more silverware—Barca didn't have any more finals to win in their 39 so couldn't win more.
Additionally, though the numbers were close, Barcelona's tally of seven draws is lower than Los Blancos', and their 122 goals scored is higher than Real's.
Whichever way you look at it, a new national record was admirable, impressive and made Barcelona look unstoppable. But they were stopped, they have been vanquished and overtaken, and it's Real Madrid's run that is more impressive and could yet prove to be even more so.
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