Real Madrid show off their best defense numbers in 32 years

Madrid maintains in its defensive solidity the options to conquer the championship, a challenge for which it now depends on itself. The white team reaches the last quarter of the League with its best defensive balance in the last 32 years. Zidane's team has only 20 goals conceded, an unprecedented figure for Madrid in the first 29 days since the 1987-88 season, with Buyo under the sticks (19 goals at the time).

“I remember that we were a great team, a very difficult team to beat. We defended well and attacked better,” the Betanzos goalkeeper recently told AS, who ended up achieving Zamora, something that as white goalkeepers since then only Buyo himself have achieved. (91-92) and Casillas (07-08). Twelve years later, Courtois is the favorite to take it away.

Part of the credit lies in the effort of the white back to prevent Courtois and Areola himself (three goals received in three games) from having work. Madrid is the second team, after Getafe, which receives the least total shots (245) and the white goalkeepers are the goalkeepers who suffer the fewest shots on goal (79).

Courtois' good work is also key. The Belgian international has the best percentage of First Division stops: 75.71% (Adán, Yoel and Roberto present better index, but neither has played more than 159 ') and has left the goal to zero in half of his 26 games; in the other 13 he has received 17 goals.

In addition to being almost impassable, Madrid is reliable. In no League game has he conceded 3 goals or more (yes in Champions against PSG and in Cup against Real), something that has not happened since the 2009-2010 season, with Pellegrini on the bench.

If you keep the progression, Madrid is in a position to finish the championship with less than 30 goals against. He has not succeeded since the 94-95 season: With Valdano as coach, the Whites conceded 29 goals. That year, like that of the first Zamora de Buyo and that of Casillas, Madrid ended up proclaiming itself champion of the League.