If you haven’t checked the Real Madrid table La Liga standings this morning, you might want to brace yourself before opening the app. It’s chaos. Pure, unadulterated Madrid chaos. Usually, by mid-January, we expect Los Blancos to be cruising, but the 2025/26 season has decided to throw the script out the window.
Barcelona is sitting at the top with 49 points. Madrid? They’re trailing in second with 48 points, but that only tells half the story.
They’ve played 20 games—one more than Barca.
Think about that for a second. The most expensive squad in the world is essentially four points behind their biggest rivals if Barcelona wins their game in hand. It’s why the fans were whistling at the Bernabeu on Saturday, even though the team actually managed to scrape a 2-0 win against Levante.
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Honestly, the biggest headline isn't even the points. It’s the dugout.
On January 12, 2026, the club announced that Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid parted ways. Just like that. After losing the Supercopa de España final to Barcelona (a painful 3-2 defeat) and getting knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Albacete, Florentino Pérez pulled the trigger.
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Enter Álvaro Arbeloa.
He was promoted from the B team (Castilla) and had to manage his first game against Levante under a cloud of white handkerchiefs. The fans are livid. They feel the season is slipping away. Arbeloa’s debut wasn’t pretty, but goals from Kylian Mbappé and Raúl Asencio secured the three points.
Real Madrid Table La Liga: Breaking Down the Numbers
Let's look at the cold, hard stats as of January 17, 2026.
Madrid has a record of 15 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses. On paper, that sounds great. In reality, the 17 goals conceded is what’s killing them. For a team starting Thibaut Courtois every week, they look weirdly vulnerable on the counter-attack.
- Total Points: 48
- Goal Difference: +26 (43 scored, 17 against)
- Current Position: 2nd
- Lead Scorer: Kylian Mbappé (19 league goals)
Mbappé is basically carrying the offensive load. He’s got 30 goals across all competitions already. Without him, this team would probably be fighting Villarreal for third place. Arda Güler has been a bright spot too, racking up 6 assists, but the midfield balance feels... off. Maybe it's the post-Luka Modrić hangover. This is the first season since 2011 without the Croatian maestro, and you can tell. The ball doesn't move through the middle with that same "telepathic" grace anymore.
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What's Wrong With the Defense?
You’ve got Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back now. He arrived from Liverpool on a free transfer last summer and he’s been incredible going forward. His delivery is world-class.
But.
His defensive partnership with Éder Militão has been shaky. They’ve conceded 17 goals in 20 games. Contrast that with Barcelona, who have only conceded 20 but have a much higher goal-scoring output (+33 goal difference).
Madrid’s home record is still solid (8 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss), but it's the away form that's suspicious. Dropping points at Elche and Girona in late 2025 really hurt their momentum.
The January 2026 Reality Check
Basically, the Real Madrid table La Liga situation is a high-wire act.
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They are currently:
- Second in La Liga, chasing a relentless Barcelona.
- Out of the Copa del Rey (The Albacete loss was a genuine disaster).
- Runners-up in the Supercopa.
- Fighting for a top-8 spot in the Champions League league phase.
It’s not exactly the "treble" season fans were dreaming of when they signed Franco Mastantuono and Dean Huijsen over the summer. Mastantuono has looked promising in his limited minutes, but he's a teenager. You can't ask a kid from River Plate to solve a mid-season identity crisis.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're following the title race, keep an eye on the schedule. Madrid doesn't have much room for error.
- Watch the Goal Difference: If Madrid stays stuck at +26 while Barca nears +40, the tie-breakers won't matter; the psychological gap will be too wide.
- The Arbeloa Factor: Check if Arbeloa sticks to the 4-3-3 or tries to move Jude Bellingham back into a more permanent "10" role to help Mbappé.
- Injury Reports: With David Alaba still working his way back and Dani Carvajal aging, the depth at center-back is thin. One more injury to Militão and the season is effectively over.
The next few weeks are everything. If they don't bridge that gap soon, the Real Madrid table La Liga position might become a permanent second-place finish.
To stay ahead of the curve, you should track the "Expected Goals" (xG) versus actual results. Madrid is currently over-performing their defensive xG, meaning they should have conceded even more goals than they have. That suggests a correction is coming—either the defense tightens up under Arbeloa, or Courtois is going to have to make five "save of the season" contenders every single week just to keep them in the hunt.
Follow the upcoming match against Real Sociedad closely. It's a massive "trap" game that could define Arbeloa's early tenure.