Real Madrid away record suggests their one-goal advantage in UCL Ro16 tie might not mean much | OneFootball

Real Madrid were able to get a 2-1 win as they faced Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie on Tuesday.

Rodrygo Goes put the Merengues ahead early in the game, but the Colchoneros equalised before the end of the first half through Julian Alvarez. In the second half, Brahim Diaz scored a stunner to ensure his side ended the first half of the tie with an advantage over their rivals.

The second leg of this tie is scheduled to take place next week at the Metropolitano, and there is no doubt that this one-goal lead on aggregate can help Los Blancos get the better of their cross-city rivals once more to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition.

However, this one-goal lead naturally does not provide a lot of security for them. This is especially the case as Real Madrid’s away form this season has been quite far from convincing.

The Merengue team’s woes while playing away from home were put clearly on display as they faced Real Betis in their last La Liga game.

Despite having taken a lead in the first ten minutes of the game, Los Blancos were quite poor playing at the Benito Villamarin as they allowed the hosts to turn around the game and win 2-1. With this loss, the Vikings are now three points behind Barcelona at the top of the league table.

But this was not a single instance, as Real Madrid have struggled in most of their away games this season. In fact, of the 14 away league matches they have played so far this season, they have won only 6, lost 3, and drawn 5. Thus, the Whites have dropped 19 points in total in a tight La Liga race while playing away from home.

Things seem to be getting particularly complicated for the Merengues in this aspect lately, as they have dropped points in all of their last three games on the road. Before the loss to Real Betis, they were held to a draw by Osasuna and were also defeated by Espanyol at the start of February.

One worrying record that goes on to show Los Blancos’ struggles away from home is that they have been unable to string more than two consecutive away wins in La Liga. Overall, their best away form came at the start of the new year, when they won four consecutive games on the road, winning against Valencia, Deportivo Minera, Real Valladolid, and Brest in La Liga, Copa del Rey, and UCL.

In the UCL, Real Madrid’s away record is still in the positive overall. They have won away games against Atalanta, Brest, and Manchester City while losing against Liverpool and Lille.

Thus, while their one-goal lead can still prove to be decisive, the away form of Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season does not really generate a lot of positivity about their chances in the second leg of the UCL Round of 16 tie against Atletico Madrid.