Atlético de Madrid, the city rivals of Real Madrid, are approaching a potential landmark as they chase a record tied to the longest streak of matches without a favorable penalty going their way. The club has been hovering near adding another chapter to a storied drought, a storyline that sparks debate about how discipline, officiating, and on‑field actions intersect in football’s most dissected moments.
May 2022 brought the Madrid derby to a close with Atlético claiming a 1-0 win over Real Madrid, thanks to a Carrasco goal converted from the spot after a VAR review signaled a penalty for a challenge in which Vallejo stepped on Cunha inside the area. Since that moment, Atlético has spent nearly a full year without a successful 11-yard attempt, a stretch that weighs on the club and its supporters as the calendar moves toward what could be a historic milestone under coach Diego Simeone.
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How many days has Atlético de Madrid gone without a favorable penalty?
The question invites more than one interpretation. On one hand, the Colchoneros have accumulated a total of 30 matches without a favorable spot-kick, a statistic that nudges them toward a club record etched in memory and in the annals of their history. Historically, in 1942 the rojiblancos endured a run of 32 games without penalties in their favor. The current drought mirrors the longest spell seen during the Simeone era when, between the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns, they also logged 30 matches without a favorable call from the spot. If another match passes without a penalty, the record could be broken; two more would seal the most troubling spell in the club’s history in this facet.
Additionally, Atlético de Madrid has been noted as the only top-flight team not to have earned a penalty kick in the current season up to this point. The squad underwent a notable transformation in the latter part of the campaign and emerged as one of Spain’s strongest outfits, though that surge has not arisen from a steady flow of penalties converted from the spot. The absence of buried spot-kicks has become a talking point among fans, analysts, and the broader basketball-tinged discourse around officiating in the league, as observers weigh how penalties influence momentum, confidence, and narrative around a team’s performance.
These observations are attributed to Goal.