The kilometre counter embarrasses the "lazy" Real Madrid, with Barcelona runners-up as the busiest runners
A declining physical level for the Real Madrid side
Real Madrid's humiliating defeat under José Mourinho in the derby at the Wanda Metropolitano was not their only disaster. It also exposed a far greater scandal within the walls of Valdebebas.
One shocking statistic left Real Madrid looking laughable in front of their fans. The Royal Club run and fight the least in the entire Spanish league, trailing rivals Barcelona and leaders Elche by a humiliating margin.
Seven rounds in, Real Madrid sit six points behind a Barcelona side who have rediscovered their usual level under Hansi Flick. On the most important measure of fighting spirit, the gap stretches to light years.
According to a statistic from the Sofascore website, cited by "Mundo Deportivo", Real Madrid cover an average of just 83.46 kilometres per match. That places them dead last, 20th in La Liga, and miles adrift of the overall league average of 93.37 kilometres.
The laughable part? The leaders are newly promoted Elche, who average 105.61 kilometres. That means Elche's players run 22 full kilometres more than Real Madrid's in every single match.
Barcelona sit second on an average of 104.64 kilometres, a difference of 21 kilometres from Real Madrid. That gap perfectly sums up the difference in seriousness and commitment between the two sides.
A comprehensive crisis: everyone under the microscope
The catastrophic derby defeat to Atlético Madrid cost far more than three points. It triggered a deep crisis of confidence. The white team head into the long international break drowning in doubts, with every player under the microscope. No one has been spared.
The players, the stars above all, sit far below the required level. Mourinho, meanwhile, cannot seem to find the right combination to bring the team consistency in performance and results.
Florentino Pérez's sporting plan has drawn sharp criticism once again. The team failed to strengthen its midfield in the summer, and the structural problems drag on for another season. That failure feeds directly into this frustrating statistic, which lays bare one of Real Madrid's real problems: fighting spirit and commitment.
