Real Madrid face daunting four-match away run that could define their season

Real Madrid face daunting four-match away run that could define their season Real Madrid are approaching one of the most demanding stretches of their season, with Jose Mourinho’s side facing four consecutive away matches. This includes trips to Barcelona and Valencia, which could have major consequences for their La Liga and Champions League ambitions. As such, Real Madrid will spend almost a month away from the Bernabeu after hosting RB Leipzig on 21 October. Their next four fixtures will take them to Barcelona, Racing Santander, AEK Athens and Valencia before another international break. Four away matches, four major tests The difficult sequence begins with the Clasico at the Camp Nou on 25 October, a particularly important encounter given Barcelona’s current six-point advantage in the league. Madrid then travel to Racing Santander on 1 November before visiting AEK Athens in the Champions League on 4 November. Santiago Bernabeu has proven to be a difficult place for opponents to travel to. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images) The run concludes with a trip to Mestalla, arguably Madrid’s last ever, to face Valencia immediately after. Most worryingly for Madrid, there is also a concerning precedent. Last season’s collapse offers a warning Madrid experienced a similar period away from home last season, when Xabi Alonso’s side played six consecutive away matches and managed just two victories. They entered that difficult stretch five points ahead of Barcelona but emerged one point behind their rivals. Defeats and disappointing draws gradually destroyed their momentum, with the team struggling to reproduce its home performances on the road. The situation was made worse by consecutive defeats against Celta and Manchester City once Madrid finally returned to the Bernabeu. Jose Mourinho will have to navigate the next month carefully at Real Madrid. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images) Mourinho will be determined to avoid such a situation this time around. Mourinho has an opportunity to change Madrid’s away mentality The upcoming fixtures should provide Mourinho with the chance to make his Madrid team more adaptable. At the Bernabeu, Madrid can often impose themselves through attacking quality and sustained pressure. Away from home, particularly against aggressive opponents, controlling the rhythm becomes much harder and their early season record reflects that . The Clasico will naturally dominate attention, but the visits to Racing and Valencia will be important in ensuring the gap to Barça does not increase. If Mourinho can guide his team through these four matches with strong results, it would set them up for a strong rest of the season.