Xabi Alonso is managing Real Madrid for the first time, and while the long-term success of his tenure remains to be seen, the 43-year-old Spaniard has made an exceptional start that no Real coach has matched in the past six decades. Last night, his side demolished Valencia 4–0 in La Liga.
This victory marked Real’s 13th win in 14 matches across all competitions this season. In the league, they have won 10 out of 11 games, while in the Champions League, they have a perfect record with 3 wins from 3 matches.
Alonso’s side has only suffered one defeat so far, against city rivals Atlético Madrid. They lost 5–2 in September, but even after that heavy defeat, Real have enjoyed a stellar start to the season. The last time the club achieved such a strong beginning in their first 14 matches was over six decades ago, during the 1961–62 season under Spanish coach Miguel Muñoz.
In other words, despite many legendary coaches managing the dugout over the past 62 years, no team had such a successful start. Historically, Real’s first 14 matches saw an even better start back in the 1928–29 season under José Ángel Berraondo, when they won 13 of 14 matches, drawing the remaining one.
A key factor behind Real’s current form is Kylian Mbappé. The French forward scored twice in last night’s victory, opening the scoring from a penalty in the 9th minute and adding his second in the 31st minute. The remaining goals were scored by Jude Bellingham in the 44th minute and Álvaro Carreiras in the 82nd.
This season, Mbappé has now scored 13 goals in La Liga and 5 more in the Champions League. Altogether, he has scored 44 goals in his first 45 matches for Real. By comparison, club legend Cristiano Ronaldo had scored 43 goals in his first 45 games. Only Hungarian Ferenc Puskás required fewer matches than Mbappé to reach 44 goals, achieving it in 44 games.
Mbappé has scored in 15 of his last 16 league matches. He is also the first Real player since Ronaldo to score in eight or more consecutive league games.
After 11 league matches, Real Madrid have 30 points. Villarreal sit in second place with 23 points, while Barcelona are third with 22 points. Today, Real face Elche in their next league fixture, and they will then travel to face Liverpool in the Champions League on 5 November.
