2015–16 Real Madrid CF season
The 2015–16 season was Real Madrid Club de Fútbol's 112th season in existence and the club's 85th consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football. It covered a period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Season overview
Pre-season
"La Décima" winning coach Carlo Ancelotti was sacked on 25 May 2015, after failing to guide the club to a major trophy the previous season. He was then replaced by Rafael Benítez on 3 June 2015.Brazilian duo Casemiro and Danilo were bought from Porto for a fee of €7.5 million and €31.5 million respectively. Both signed long-term deals with the club, with Casemiro returning after Real Madrid exercised their buy-back clause option on the player. Spanish wingers Marco Asensio and Lucas Vázquez also joined the club, while Sami Khedira signed for Juventus after his contract was not renewed by the club. Javier Hernández soon departed back to Manchester United after Madrid did not make his season-long loan from the last campaign permanent.
The contracts of Dani Carvajal, Marcelo and Sergio Ramos were renewed for another six years and were set to expire in the summer of 2020. Pepe extended his contract until 2017. Casemiro's contract was extended to 2021.
Iker Casillas left the club on 11 July 2015 and was transferred to Porto after 15 years with Los Blancos. Kiko Casilla was signed as the replacement on 17 July 2015.
The schedule of the season was announced on 14 July 2015.
On 18 August 2015, Mateo Kovačić was signed from Internazionale, while Marco Asensio was loaned to Espanyol.
August
Madrid started off their 2015–16 campaign with a goalless draw at Sporting de Gijón.Asier Illarramendi was sold to Real Sociedad on 26 August 2015, while Fábio Coentrão was loaned to Monaco and Lucas Silva to Marseille.
Madrid thrashed Real Betis in their home opener by a score of 5–0 after braces from Gareth Bale and James Rodríguez and a goal from Karim Benzema.
September
scored five goals and had an assist for Benzema in a 6–0 away win at Espanyol. With the five goals, Ronaldo set his Spanish league goal tally to 230 goals in 203 games, surpassing Raúl's record of 228 goals in 550 games for Real Madrid in La Liga, becoming the all-time top scorer for Real Madrid in the Spanish league.Real started the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League season with a 4–0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk. Benzema scored the opener and Ronaldo had yet another hat trick just four days after his last.
A lone goal by Benzema lifted Madrid over Granada to maintain their winning streak.
Benzema scored another brace to help Real record another victory at Athletic Bilbao.
Against Málaga, Madrid came up with a goalless draw.
October
Real visited Atlético Madrid in the first Madrid Derby of the season. Benzema gave Real the lead, but the game ended eventually in a 1–1 draw.Ronaldo became the all-time top goalscorer for Real Madrid with a goal in a 3–0 victory over Levante. Marcelo and Jesé scored the other goals.
Madrid faced Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and came away with a goalless draw, which helped Madrid to stay unbeaten in the group stage for three years.
In the top match of the ninth round, against Celta de Vigo, Madrid came away with a 3–1 victory, thanks to goals from Ronaldo, Marcelo and Danilo with his first goal as a Real player.
Goals from Isco, Ronaldo and Jesé wrapped the month of October up in a 3–1 home win over Las Palmas.
November
The new month started with a narrow 1–0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain, which saw Madrid going through the Round of 16 in the Champions League. The lone goal was scored by Nacho.Goals from Sergio Ramos and James Rodríguez were not enough to get by Sevilla, as Real lost the game 2–3 and the lead position of the table.
After the international break, Real hosted arch-rivals Barcelona and suffered a humiliating 0–4 loss, their heaviest home defeat in El Clásico since 2009.
Madrid secured the top spot of the Champions League group by defeating Shakhtar Donetsk 4–3 after a brace from Ronaldo and goals from Luka Modrić and Dani Carvajal.
Goals from Bale and Ronaldo snapped a two-game losing streak in the league with a 2–0 victory over Eibar.
December
Madrid started the cup season in style with a 3–1 victory over Cádiz by a brace from Isco and a goal from Denis Cheryshev. The match was controversial, however, as Cheryshev was suspended from the previous season but played the game nonetheless. Therefore, Madrid was disqualified from the 2015–16 Copa del Rey two days later by the competition judge.A brace from Benzema and goals from Bale and Ronaldo gave Madrid the edge to win 4–1 over Getafe.
Four goals from Ronaldo, a hat-trick from Benzema and a goal from Mateo Kovačić wrapped up the group stage of the Champions League with an 8–0 thrashing of Malmö FF.
Madrid had a rough awakening back in La Liga when they lost 0–1 at Villarreal.
A 10–2 victory over Rayo Vallecano helped Madrid to secure their third spot with four goals from Bale, a hat-trick from Benzema, a Ronaldo-brace and a goal from Danilo.
Two goals from Ronaldo and a goal from Lucas Vázquez secured a 3–1 victory against Real Sociedad to end the year.
January
The new year started with a 2–2 draw at Valencia, with goals from Benzema and Bale.On 4 January 2016, it was announced that Benítez was sacked and replaced by Zinedine Zidane.
The Zidane era was opened with a 5–0 win over Deportivo de La Coruña thanks to a hat trick by Bale and a brace from Benzema.
Gijón was defeated 5–1 with a brace from Ronaldo and Benzema plus a Bale goal.
A goal from Benzema saved a 1–1 draw against Betis.
In a 6–0 victory over Espanyol, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, while Rodríguez and Benzema scored another goal alongside an own goal.
February
Cheryshev was loaned out to Valencia on 1 February 2016.A late goal from Modrić saved the 2–1 win against Granada, after Benzema opened the scoring.
Goals from Rodríguez, Toni Kroos and a brace from Ronaldo gave Madrid a 4–2 victory over Bilbao.
Against Roma in the Champions League round of 16, Ronaldo and Jesé helped Zidane to get off to a good start in Europe with a 2–0 win.
Madrid managed to get a 1–1 draw at Málaga with the goal being scored by Ronaldo.
The home match against Atlético Madrid was lost 0–1 and the gap to the first place blew to 12 points.
March
The new month was opened with a 3–1 victory at Levante with goals from Ronaldo, Isco and an own goal.Four goals from Ronaldo and goals by Pepe, Bale and Jesé secured Madrid a 7–1 win over Celta Vigo.
A goal from Ronaldo and Rodríguez secured a 2–0 win over Roma in the round of 16 of the Champions League.
Casemiro saved Madrid the three points per a late goal, after Ramos put them upfront in a 2–1 victory over Las Palmas.
Goals from Benzema, Ronaldo, Bale and Jesé secured the "all whites" a 4–0 win over Sevilla.
April
El Clásico was won 2–1 away from home by goals from Benzema and Ronaldo.The first leg of the quarter-finals at the Champions League was lost 0–2 away from home to VfL Wolfsburg.
Against Eibar, Madrid was able to get a 4–0 victory with goals from Rodríguez, Vázquez, Ronaldo and Jesé.
Madrid was able to come back against Wolfsburg with a 3–0 home victory and a 3–2 win on aggregate to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. Ronaldo scored a hat-trick.
Benzema, Isco, Bale, Rodríguez and Ronaldo gave Madrid a 5–1 victory over Getafe.
Goals from Benzema, Vázquez and Modrić secured Madrid three points with a 3–0 win over Villarreal.
A brace from Bale and a goal from Vázquez gave Madrid a comeback win after being down 0–2.
The first leg of the Champions League semifinals against Manchester City ended in a goalless draw.
A Bale header gave Madrid the late 1–0 win at Real Sociedad.
May
scored an own goal as Real Madrid progressed into the finals by beating Manchester City, setting up a clash with neighbours Atlético Madrid for the second time in three years.A brace from Ronaldo and a goal from Benzema secured a narrow 3–2 win over Valencia. With this win, Real moved up to second place in the league with a chance at the title.
Madrid won 2–0 at Deportivo at the last matchday of the league. With that win, Madrid finished second.
On 28 May 2016, Real Madrid's 11th Champions League title was won after a 5–3 penalty shoot-out victory over Atlético Madrid after a 1–1 draw with Ramos giving Real Madrid an early lead.
Kit
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Transfers
In
Total spending: €83.5MOut
Total Income: €15.65MNet income: €67.85M