Real Madrid are one game away from equalling La Liga’s all-time record for consecutive unbeaten matches.

Carlo Ancelotti’s domestic and continental champions have not tasted defeat in Spain’s top flight since losing to city rivals Atletico Madrid in September 2023, 13 months ago. A narrow 2-1 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday night stretched Madrid’s unbeaten record to 42 league games – one short of the record that Barcelona set between 2017 and 2018.

Fittingly, the capital giants have the chance to equal that high watermark when they go up against their greatest foes in Saturday’s Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Longest unbeaten runs in La Liga history

* Run still ongoing

The list of the longest unbeaten streaks in La Liga history is predictably dominated by two familiar names. But this current iteration of Real Madrid had to overtake Real Sociedad’s long-held tally of 38 loss-less outings to sneak into second place.

Remarkably, that golden generation of Basque football, which was strung out between April 1979 and the summer of 1980, did not result in a league title. Real Sociedad didn’t lose their first game of the 1979/80 La Liga campaign until the penultimate weekend, yet that slip up – combined with 14 draws – allowed Madrid to snatch top spot. The following season, Real Sociedad lost nine league games yet went on to lift the title. Go figure.

If Madrid are to match Barcelona’s feat, it would be a moment worthy of celebration, but when a side led by Ernesto Valverde set that landmark figure in May 2018, it was scarcely acknowledged.

“When you win the league, it looks simple,” Valverde said at the time. Lionel Messi had to make a rare public statement to remind his fans not to take such a triumph for granted.

“We had bad moments and we overcame them without losing, which is incredible,” the talismanic forward insisted. We have to value this league, enjoy it, and celebrate it.”

The shrug of recognition which Barcelona received stemmed from their continental failings. The Catalans had spurned a 4-1 first-leg lead over Roma in the Champions League quarter-finals, sending the club into a “depressive state”, to use Valverde’s words.

That Barcelona side had wrapped up the league title and won the 2018 Copa del Rey before they surprisingly lost their first game in 13 months to a Levante side battling relegation. Even the players who helped the Valencian outfit earn a bonkers 5-4 win were shocked. “We couldn’t believe it,” Levante’s Jose Luis Morales admitted, “we were a bit stunned.”

It would be no great surprise if Barcelona prevent Real Madrid from matching their record this weekend. The Catalan giants have enjoyed a blistering start to the new campaign under Hansi Flick, playing an exciting brand of full-throttle football which has yielded nine wins and 33 goals from ten league games. Madrid, by contrast, are somewhat fortunate to only trail Barcelona by three points.

After watching his side narrowly escape Vigo on Sunday with three scarcely deserved points, Ancelotti admitted: “We are having a lot of problems.”

A new hybrid formation robbed the visitors of any solidity. While Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe argued among themselves, the capital club had to be rescued by an individual record-breaker. Luka Modric emerged off the bench to tee up Vinicius’ winner, becoming the oldest player in the club’s history in the process.

Madrid will need their timeless 39-year-old to be at his best if they are to make another piece of history this weekend.

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