Once again, Real Madrid has been put under the spotlight. Data on the distance covered during the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal reveals a troubling pattern: Carlo Ancelotti’s team ran the least among all eight clubs at this stage of the competition. While their opponents gave their all physically in pursuit of a semi-final spot, the Spanish giants lagged behind in intensity and effort.

Ancelotti's team ran the least in the quarter-final second legs

In the decisive clash at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Madrid side covered just 66.8 miles, compared to the 72 miles logged by Mikel Arteta’s men. This difference of over 5 miles has reignited debate over the physical condition of the team and its performances during the most crucial part of the season.

Criticism had already been fierce after the first leg in London: the English side ran 70.8 miles, while Madrid managed just 62.9. That physical disparity coincided with the heavy defeat suffered at the Emirates Stadium, once again highlighting the team’s shortcomings.

What’s more alarming is that in this entire Champions League campaign, Real Madrid only out-ran their opponent in one game: a 3-2 win against Atalanta in Bergamo, where they covered 71.8 miles compared to 71.4 from Gian Piero Gasperini’s team. A lone exception in a season where Madrid has been physically outmatched time and again.

To add insult to injury, Madrid ended their run with a record number of defeats in a single Champions League season—six in total—falling to Lille, Milan, Liverpool, Atlético de Madrid, and twice to Arsenal.

Meanwhile, other teams showed a very different attitude. Borussia Dortmund topped the running charts with 76.7 miles in their comeback attempt against FC Barcelona, who themselves logged 72.8 miles. Paris Saint-Germain covered 71.1 miles in their dramatic qualification against Aston Villa, who ran an impressive 74.3 miles. Even Inter Milan, the second-lowest team in this stat, reached 70.7 miles compared to Bayern’s 73.2.

The gap in physical effort is more than clear. And in a competition like the Champions League, that can be the difference between moving forward… or crashing out.