For a brief stretch, it looked like Real Madrid had found their rhythm. Convincing wins against Barcelona, Armani Milan, AS Monaco in the EuroLeague, and Valencia Basket in the Liga Endesa suggested the team was hitting cruising speed. It may feel distant now, but all of those victories came at the Movistar Arena, where Real Madrid have been dominant this season, posting an outstanding combined record of 20 wins and just 2 defeats.

The problem appears as soon as they leave home. Away from Madrid, and particularly in the EuroLeague, Real Madrid have struggled badly. A lack of consistency, recurring lapses in concentration, and collapses at key moments have defined their performances on the road. While winning away in Europe has never been easy, this season has been especially punishing. Despite owning the best home record in the competition at 12-1, Real Madrid also have the worst away record among the top eleven teams, standing at 4-10, already matching last season’s mark for most road losses.

This week only underlined those concerns. First came a narrow defeat at the OAKA Arena against Panathinaikos, an 82-81 loss to a side missing Kendrick Nunn and seemingly more vulnerable than usual. Days later, Real Madrid suffered another setback in their first-ever visit to Dubai, falling 93-85 after holding a 12-point lead and conceding 18 points in just three minutes.

Those losses add to an already frustrating list of missed opportunities away from home. Real Madrid have fallen on courts where wins are usually essential for teams aiming high, including games against Virtus Bologna, Bayern Munich, Maccabi Tel Aviv in Belgrade, Paris Basketball, and Milan.

With 11 EuroLeague regular-season games still to play, five of them away from home, the challenge is clear. Next week brings a demanding trip to the Belgrade Arena to face a resurgent Partizan under Joan Peñarroya, fresh off a win against Panathinaikos. After the Copa del Rey, Real Madrid will enjoy a more favorable run with five of six games at home, Kaunas being the lone road trip. The season will then conclude with three consecutive away matches against Baskonia, Olympiacos, and Fenerbahce, before a final home game against Crvena Zvezda.

In a campaign as tight as this one, the consequences are already visible. The loss in Dubai dropped Real Madrid from fourth to seventh place, pushing them into the play-in zone. Securing victories away from home now looks vital if they want to finish near the top. History supports that urgency: since 2005, the team with home-court advantage has advanced in 65 of the 80 EuroLeague playoff series. Given Real Madrid’s struggles on the road, turning the Movistar Arena into their main weapon may be their clearest path toward a deep European run.

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