Real Madrid's transformation this season has been nothing short of dramatic. From an almost invincible team to one struggling at every turn, the contrast between last season’s dominance and this year's faltering performances is striking. 

Under Carlo Ancelotti, the team had been a juggernaut, clinching the Champions League, La Liga, and Supercopa with relative ease. Fast forward a year, and Real Madrid has been outclassed by Barcelona in both Clásicos, marking their most painful defeats of the season.

But it’s not just Barcelona that’s gotten the better of the Madrid giants. This season, the team has struggled against all its major rivals. Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Liverpool, and Athletic Bilbao—none of these teams have been defeated by Real Madrid this campaign. The only real highlight of their season, aside from their Supercup and Intercontinental victories, was a thrilling comeback against Borussia Dortmund, overturning a 0-2 deficit at home to win 5-2.

The Clásico defeats were particularly devastating for Madrid. Barcelona handed them a crushing 0-4 defeat at the Bernabéu and a 2-5 loss in Yeda, showing their current dominance. But the list of disappointing results extends beyond just the Catalans. 

Atletico Madrid earned a hard-fought draw at the Santiago Bernabéu, while Milan triumphed 1-3 in Madrid’s own backyard. Liverpool also secured a 2-0 victory in a rematch of their iconic Champions League final, and the Athletic defeated Madrid 2-1 at San Mamés in the La Liga derby.

The Invincible Madrid of Last Season

Contrast this with last season, when Real Madrid seemed almost untouchable. They didn’t lose a single match to the likes of Barcelona, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, or even Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley. Madrid’s resilience was a hallmark of their success, with standout performances in tight matches. Bellingham was the hero, scoring late goals to secure victory in both La Liga Clásicos against Barcelona, and Vinícius was exceptional in their Supercup triumph.

That campaign, Real Madrid lost just two out of 55 games, with one loss coming in a Copa del Rey match against Atlético, a game they fought to extra time. In fact, the team only conceded three or more goals in five games all season—three of them coming against Atlético Madrid, one in the City quarterfinals, and another in a 4-4 draw against Villarreal in the final weeks of the league.

A Struggling Start to the New Campaign

In contrast, this season has seen Real Madrid already rack up six losses, and their defensive frailties have been laid bare. Teams like Rayo Vallecano and Milan have netted three goals against them, while Barcelona has scored nine in just 135 minutes of play. It’s clear that Real Madrid is facing a serious problem when it comes to competing with Europe’s and Spain’s top sides.

As the season progresses, Ancelotti will have to address these defensive lapses and find a way to get his team back to the form that made them nearly invincible last year. With the Champions League, La Liga, and other trophies still in play, there is still time for Madrid to regroup, but if their form against the giants of football continues, it could be a long and difficult season.

Real Madrid’s challenge now is to fix the issues that have emerged and prove that their struggles this season are just a bump in the road. Otherwise, they risk falling further behind the elite teams of Europe.