Ben Stewart
The stats behind Real Madrid’s title winning season
Real Madrid claimed their 35th La Liga title at the weekend with a 4-0 win over Espanyol and we’ve dived into the stats to find out how they did it.
Goals galore
Real Madrid have been the top scoring side in La Liga this season with 73 goals scored across their 34 matches.
With an average of 2.15 goals per game, they often have their opponents out-gunned in the final third.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side average 17.1 shots per 90, which is considerably more than Real Betis and Barcelona who are next in the list with 14 shots per 90.
Vinícius Júnior has been their main creative threat this season as he has produced 62 key passes, more than any other Madrid player.
To show for it, he has picked up nine assists and has formed a formidable partnership with Karim Benzema.
The form of Benzema
Karim Benzema is arguably the best player in the world at this point in time, he is currently the top scorer and assister in La Liga with 26 goals and 11 assists.
The Frenchman has been more clinical than ever as he has overperformed his xG by 4.9 goals this season, the fourth-biggest overperformance in La Liga.
Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, Benzema has been more of a focal point for Madrid and this is seen by how many shots he is now taking.
He has averaged 3.93 shots per 90, which is more than any other player in La Liga.
Keeping it tight at the back
Real Madrid are often praised for their prowess in the final third, but this season’s title has also hinged on a tight defensive set up.
Following the high-profile departures of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane in the summer, Madrid had to rework their defensive unit over the summer.
Eder Militão has been a regular starter for them this season, alongside David Alaba who they picked up from Bayern Munich.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have the second-best defensive record in La Liga, just behind Sevilla.
They have conceded just 0.85 goals per game and they have limited their opponents to 10.9 shots per 90.
Thibaut Courtois has kept 14 clean sheets throughout the campaign and his save percentage of 76.1% ranks him as the fourth-best shot-stopper this season.
Carlo Ancelotti makes history
In the process of winning Real Madrid their 35th league title, Carlo Ancelotti became the first manager to ever win each of Europe's top five leagues.
He has been a champion with AC Milan, PSG, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and now Real Madrid.
He will go down as one of the most decorated managers in football history and he will have his eye on another Champions League title this season as Real Madrid host Manchester City in the semi-final second leg this week.
The Italian manager has managed 1,221 matches and has a win percentage of 58.3%.
Coincidentally, his best win percentages have come from both his stints at Real Madrid, with his current win record at 72% since he took over in June 2021.
What’s possible for them in Europe
Real Madrid already have two trophies in the bag for this season with the Supercopa de España and La Liga title in the bag and they could still add another.
They will need to overturn their 4-3 loss to Manchester City on Wednesday as the pair lock horns at the Santiago Bernabéu in the second leg.
The Spanish side are averaging 2.18 goals per game in the Champions League and they have conceded 1.18 goals per game.
Real Madrid have the best home record in La Liga, having only lost one home league match all season.
They have averaged 2.35 points per game at the Bernabéu and they will need to be at their best to overcome Man City in the second leg.