The most embarrassing losses in Real Madrid’s history: Sheriff Tiraspol on top, a debacle with a third league team and El Clásico defeats

High and very surprising defeats are inevitable for any club, even one that ranks among the biggest clubs in the world. Real Madrid has suffered several such defeats in its rich history. Which are among the most shameful?

Football is magical in that, even though the favourite is more or less determined in every match, it is never possible to truly predict with certainty who will win. So we can expect results that almost nobody expects.

Real Madrid has experienced this several times in its rich history. For its high and surprising defeats, we don’t even need to go that far back in time.

On 5 March 2019, for example, the royal team was unable to keep up with Ajax Amstedam on home soil, to whom it lost by a high score of 1:4. Just a little earlier, on 5 December 2018, CSKA Moscow won 3: 0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, these are just examples. Both Ajax and CSKA Moscow play in quality competitions and are big clubs with a rich history, although on paper they should not be Real Madrid’s equal.

However, perhaps the Spanish giant’s most embarrassing defeat came on Tuesday when they fell to Moldova’s Sheriff Tiraspol.

The most embarrassing defeats in Real Madrid’s history

Real Madrid 0::4 Barcelona, 21 November 2015, La Liga

The famous El Clásico has offered more than one high profile debacle in its rich history. Perhaps many will say that losing to Barcelona, albeit 0: 4, is not at all shameful. But a Real Madrid fan would see it differently.

The result was all the more interesting because Barcelona played most of the game without star Lionel Messi, while Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez played for Real.

A loss this high against a hated rival and at home? That simply must not be missing from the list, even though there would be a higher result in favour of the Catalans in history.

Real Madrid 2::6 Barcelona, 2 May 2009, La Liga

For the second time, El Clásico earned a place in this selection. The reason? Another high home loss for Real Madrid against Barcelona. Moreover, this was a season after which the Madrid club decided to make expensive purchases and brought in stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso.

In Catalonia, this win is seen as one of the most important in the club’s history. Pep Guardiola’s charges showed great tactical and statistical superiority in the match. In short, it was a concert from Barcelona that was a joy to watch.

Kaiserslautern 5::0 Real Madrid, 17 March 1982, UEFA Cup

This game might make many people think that Kaiserslautern were one of the traditional Bundesliga clubs in the past and could beat the big boys, but in Spain it was perceived quite differently. A not very well-known team that the White Ballet should have been able to handle.

Moreover, Real Madrid had won the first leg 3-1, and should have gone to Germany only for a formal win to seal the defeat. However, the opposite proved to be true and instead the Spanish side took home a high profile debacle and one of the defeats to remember for some time to come.

It was one of the two most successful seasons for Kaiserslautern in the European Cups.

Alcorcon 4: 0 Real Madrid, 27 October 2009, Copa del Rey

There can be surprises in cups, and it happens in the Czech Republic too. But when Real Madrid falls to a third-tier team, and a high 4:0 at that, such a result must not be missing from the list of the most embarrassing losses in club history.

Nor can it be said that the Madrid giant dropped the game. After all, the starting line-up included stars like Metzelder, Arbeloa, Guti, Van der Vaart, Benzema and Raúl. Players like Van Nistelrooy and Marcelo were expected to turn the result around from the bench.

It should have been an easy hurdle along the way, instead it turned out like this. Less than 3,000 spectators attended the game. In the rematch, Real Madrid won only 1: 0 and the small Alcorcon team has forever earned a place in football history as one of the midgets who overcame the giant.

Real Madrid 1::2 Sheriff Tiraspol, 28 September 2021, Champions League

The freshest result of them all, therefore not to be missed at the top. Real Madrid has 67 times more expensive squad than the Moldovan team. In addition, Sheriff Tiraspol is in the Champions League’s regular group for the first time ever.

The White Ballet should have clearly won. They outplayed their opponents statistically, but scored only one goal from a penalty and conceded two more.

That Sheriff beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 in the first group match? Well, one minor surprise will happen. But the win over Real Madrid is all the more unexpected, because to get two such surprising results in a row? Nobody expected that.

The Tiraspol team will live for decades to come, the whole of Moldova will remember this result, and Sheriff fans may ironically remember the glorious days when their beloveds beat Real Madrid.

Sources: Transfermarkt, Marca, Real Madrid