Since November 1 and its victory against Valencia at the Bernabéu (4-0), Real Madrid has not played in its stadium again. The reason: the holding of the NFL Miami Dolphins – Washington Commanders match, played on November 16, which forced the club to cede the venue for several weeks. This imposed schedule led to a series of six consecutive trips for Xabi Alonso’s team (four in La Liga and two in the Champions League) and ultimately cost dearly in terms of points. The five-point lead over Barça has disappeared and Hansi Flick now has a one-point lead at the top. The gaps on Atlético and Villarreal also melted, going from eight and seven points respectively to just two and one.
Sportingly, Real Madrid was unable to manage this long tour away from its stadium, with three draws in La Liga (Vallecas, Elche, Girona), a string of four away games without a victory and an alarming performance in the Champions League against Liverpool (1-0), then a valuable success in Athens against Olympiacos (1-2). San Mamés will finally mark the end of this grueling away series. “It’s a good opportunity to get back outside”assured Xabi Alonso at a press conference, especially in a hurry to finally return to the Santiago Bernabéu.
