Real Madrid’s remarkable unbeaten streak came to a stunning halt on Wednesday night in the Champions League, as Lille pulled off an unexpected upset.
The second group phase of the 2024/25 Champions League concluded on October 2, 2024, with this shocking defeat dominating the headlines.
The loss ended Real Madrid’s impressive run, which dated back to their 4-0 semifinal defeat against Manchester City in the 2022/23 season.
In a match played at Lille’s Pierre-Mauroy Stadium, the European champions fell 1-0, marking their first defeat in 36 matches across all competitions. Their last loss had been on January 18 against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey.
The decisive moment came just before halftime when Jonathan David, who scored a hat-trick in Ligue 1 over the weekend, converted a penalty after Eduardo Camavinga blocked a shot from Zhegrova with his arm.
Despite bringing on Kylian Mbappe, who previously played for Paris Saint-Germain, as a substitute, Real Madrid couldn’t find an equalizer, allowing Lille to secure their first victory in the new Champions League format.
This defeat extended Real Madrid’s winless streak to three consecutive away matches against French teams in the Champions League, during which they failed to score a single goal.
Previously, they suffered a 3-0 loss to PSG in 2019 and a 1-0 defeat to the same team in 2022, alongside the recent loss to Lille.
Additionally, the defeat snapped Madrid’s 14-game unbeaten streak in the Champions League.
Currently, Real Madrid remains unbeaten in 40 La Liga matches and will look to match or break Barcelona’s record of 43 unbeaten games set between 2017 and 2018 in their upcoming four fixtures, including the crucial El Clásico.
