It's finally happened: Real Madrid have lost a game.
It took almost nine months for this phrase to be spoken aloud again at the end of a competitive match, but it was heard loudly and proudly around Lille on matchday two of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League.
The team from northern France, the only side to interrupt Paris Saint-Germain's dominance of Ligue 1 in the past seven years — Lille won the title in 2020/21 — beat Carlo Ancelotti's team 1-0 at home, Los Blancos having been fielding one or two back-up players due to injuries.
Jonathan David converted a penalty in added time at the end of the first half, and that was enough for the French side to claim victory against this weakened version of Real Madrid, who were without Thibaut Courtois and only had Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo as substitutes. The former entered the fray in the 56th minute, and he didn't manage a shot.
0 - @KMbappe 🇫🇷 have failed to attempt shots in a single game for the first time at @realmadriden (10 appearances with Los Blancos in all competitions). Slip. pic.twitter.com/x4ful3m2ES
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) October 2, 2024
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Real Madrid's incredible unbeaten run ended by Lille
Los Merengues' unbeaten run was remarkable. More than a whole year had passed since their last defeat — a total of 53 consecutive games across La Liga and the Champions League, their two most important competitions.
This sequence had earned them both of those trophies last season. Now, they are embroiled in a difficult start to 2024/25, with seven wins, three draws, and now one defeat in official matches.
𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝟏-𝟎 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐝
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) October 2, 2024
A sensational win for Lille against the reigning champions.
Bruno Génésio becomes only the third manager to beat Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho in European competition, after Jürgen Klopp and Diego Simeone.#LILRMA #UCL pic.twitter.com/6yLtG2tm4L
Away from home in particular, Madrid have a problem. They drew at Mallorca, at Las Palmas and Atletico Madrid; now, they have lost on Lille's home turf. Their only away success was a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad at Anoeta.
This is something of a loud alarm bell given that Ancelotti's team have to face Liverpool at Anfield at the end of November on matchday five of the Champions League. The unexpected loss in France means they have lost some margin for error when it comes to the race to finish in the top eight of this new league phase and qualify directly for the Round of 16.
MORE: All the latest Champions League news | How does the 2024/25 Champions League work? | Full UCL match schedule
Who were the last team to beat Real Madrid?
Before their loss to Lille, Real Madrid's last defeat was on January 18, 2024, when Atletico Madrid beat them 4-2 in the Copa del Rey after extra time.
The last time they lost a game in the regulation 90 minutes was way back on September 24, 2023, also against Atletico, who won 3-1 in a league game.
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