The derby passed and Real Madrid could not add the three points. One more time. Despite playing in their stadium and in front of their fans, Carlo Ancelotti’s team failed to beat Atlético, despite the fact that he played a good part of the second half with one more player, and in fact he can be thankful that he scored a point, because after Giménez’s 0-1 draw, the mood in La Castellana was one of incipient defeat. Fortunately, the youth player Álvaro Rodríguez appeared to make the tie, a consolation that does not avoid a reality: the Santiago Bernabéu does not scare this course in the League. And out there, among other things, the championship is slipping away from the white team.
There are already four punctures at the Bernabéu: they drew against Osasuna (0-0), Girona (1-1), Real Sociedad (0-0) and now against Atleti (1-1). They have flown eight points from the Bernabéu, only one less than away from the white stadium: Madrid have lost three away games, although so far they have scored more points at home (27) than at home (25)., although playing a game further from the Bernabéu. And the numbers as a local and as a visitor are almost traced: he averages 2.1 goals in favor at the Bernabéu and 2.0 away from him; and 0.7 goals against locals for 0.8 away. There is a minimal difference, too small to think that Madrid is taking advantage of its stadium as a differentiating element to score points.
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And it is a curious case, because in the rest of the competitions Madrid is not showing that fragility as a local. The sample is small, as only He has played four games at the Bernabéu beyond the League (three in the Champions League and one in the Cup), but the result has been four victories, with 12 goals for (three per game on average) and three against. Although rivals of throne come soon that can threaten that statistic: this Thursday Barcelona plays in the Cup and on March 15, Liverpool after the 2-5 at Anfield.
The jump of the Barça
Without going any further, in all of last season Madrid barely accumulated six punctures at the Bernabéu (five draws and one defeat). They also failed more than expected at home, but a certain effect of stage fright was noted for the rivals, which caused the white team to generate more in attack (2.3 goals per game at home; 1.8 away) and was less attacked (0.7 goals against due to home match; 0.9 away). Barcelona is a good example of the importance of becoming strong at home: they have only given up two draws at home, without defeats, and they have only scored one more local goal than Madrid (24)… but they have made the difference in defense, with only one goal conceded in 11 games at the Camp Nou to Madrid’s 8 at the Bernabéu.
It is also true, and it should not be ignored, that Madrid is not having a season that is so different from last year, in which it was the leader during practically the entire championship and took the title several days in advance. At this point in the course, Ancelotti’s team had 53 points; now there are 52, only one less. The big difference lies in the performance of Barcelona, which has 59 points after 22 games and that last year, at the same time, it barely had 35. That’s 24 more points.a giant leap to which Ancelotti’s Madrid has not been able to adapt and due to which the League is slipping away.