This is the worst Real Madrid side in nearly three decades
If Barça beat Las Palmas, they will go 17 clear of Madrid
You have to go back to 1990-91 to find a worse Los Blancos
Without a doubt, Real Madrid's whole season now boils down to the Champions League. Zinedine Zidane's side, after another La Liga loss (1-0 at Espanyol on Tuesday), are on the path to their worst ever season since 1990/91.
THREE DECADES AGO
You have to go back to almost three decades, to March 1991, to find a Real Madrid struggling so much after 26 games of the season.
That year, Madrid, coached by Alfredo Di Stefano, lost 1-0 to Logroñes in the middle of March and were left seventh in La Liga with 28 points (40 with three points for a win system), 16 back from Barcelona, who had 44 points (64).
FOUR COACHES
Di Stefano was sacked four days later after losing 3-1 at home to Spartak Moscow and being knocked out of the European Cup in the last eight.
Ramon Grosso was the manager who took over for the 1-1 draw with Real Oviedo before the appointment of Radomir Antic. The Serbian was the fourth coach of the season, as Di Stefano had replaced John Toshack after 12 games.
MINUS 16
Real Madrid ended that season with 46 points, 11 pack from Johan Cruyff's Dream Team, who began a cycle of four consecutive league titles (1991-1994). With the current system, Barça would have had 82 points, 16 more than Real Madrid (66).
To get an idea of the magnitude of the numbers registered by Ernesto Valverde's Barça, you have to measure them with Cruyff's side in that campaign: Koeman, Laudrup and Co. had won 20 of their first 26 games, drawing four and losing two, with 60 goals scored and 20 conceded.
VALVERDE AND MESSI
In the current points system, that would equate to 64 points, one less (and in one game more) than the 65 racked up by Valverde, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta's side, who have won 20 games and drawn five. They have scored 68 goals and conceded 12.
Since then, Madrid have only been in such a negative situation on three occasions after 26 games:
2005/06: Real Madrid were second with 51 points, 10 back from Barcelona who went on to win the league and the Champions League.
2012/13: Real Madrid were third with 55 points, 13 less than Barça, who won the league with a record 100 points. Madrid ended second with 85 points (-15).
2015/16: Real Madrid were third with 54 points, 12 less than Barça. Zidane's side came back, but missed out on the title by one point (91-90), although they did win the Champions League.
2017/18: Real Madrid are third with 51 points, 14 back from Barcelona (who have a game in hand). If Barça beat Las Palmas on Thursday, the gap will be 17 points. If Valencia beat Athletic Club on Wednesday, they will move level with Madrid in joint third.
| Season | Position | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | PTS* | DIF* |
| 2017/18 | 3º | 26 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 62 | 28 | 51 | -14 |
| 2015/16 | 3º | 26 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 71 | 25 | 54 | -12 |
| 2012/13 | 3º | 26 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 64 | 24 | 55 | -13 |
| 2005/06 | 2º | 26 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 50 | 26 | 51 | -10 |
| 1990/91 | 7º | 26 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 39 | 26 | 28 (40) | -16 (-24) |
