(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
La Liga: Barcelona and Real Madrid’s Track Record Against Newly Promoted Teams Since 2000
The second matchday of La Liga brings interesting fixtures as Barcelona travel to Levante and Real Madrid face Real Oviedo — both sides recently promoted to Spain’s top division. While the two giants are clear favorites on paper, history shows some differences in how they handle such opponents.
Real Madrid: More Consistent Against Promoted Teams
According to data from BeSoccer Pro, Real Madrid have shown greater consistency when playing newly promoted clubs. Since the 2000-01 season, Los Blancos have contested 150 matches, winning 119 (79.3%). They drew 16 (10.7%) and lost only 15 (10%).
Remarkably, across 25 seasons, Madrid lost more than once to promoted sides in only one campaign — 2006-07, when they were beaten by Recreativo (0-3) and Levante (0-1).
Barcelona: Strong but More Slip-Ups
Barcelona’s record remains dominant, though slightly less reliable. Out of their 150 matches against promoted opponents, the Blaugrana secured 110 wins (73.3%), alongside 22 draws (14.7%) and 18 defeats (12%). In total, they dropped points in 40 matches, compared to Madrid’s 31.
Perfect Records: Madrid Lead the Way
Over the past 25 seasons, there have been only nine perfect campaigns — where a team won all six matches against promoted clubs. Seven belong to Real Madrid, while two were achieved by Barcelona.
-
Madrid’s flawless runs: 2008-09, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2023-24.
-
Barcelona’s perfect runs: 2009-10 (under Pep Guardiola) and 2015-16 (under Luis Enrique).
Between 2008-09 and 2016-17, Real Madrid enjoyed a dominant stretch of 50 wins and 4 draws in 54 games.
Minimum Points: Still Respectable
Even in their least successful seasons, both clubs maintained strong results.
-
Real Madrid’s lowest tally was 11 points, achieved in 2002-03, 2003-04, and 2017-18 (3 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat).
-
Barcelona’s lowest return was 10 points, recorded in five different campaigns (2000-01, 2010-11, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23).
Conclusion
The statistics highlight that while both Barcelona and Real Madrid dominate promoted teams, Madrid’s consistency is superior, making them less prone to costly slip-ups. As both clubs prepare for matchday two of the new season, history suggests Real Madrid may have the edge when it comes to reliability against newly promoted sides.
