First loss for Real Madrid since derby against Atlético
Real Madrid's run of consecutive victories in official matches came to an end after losing 2-1 against Valencia at the Mestalla.
Their 22 triumphs mark a new record in the history of Spanish football but falls two short of emulating Curitiba of Brazil and entering the Guinness Book of Records.
Real Madrid set a new record for consecutive victories in Spanish football, leaving the 18 wins set by Barcelona under Dutchman Frank Rijkaard in the 2005-06 season, a distant second.
Carlo Ancelotti's team had not lost a match since 13th September, when they lost in La Liga to Atlético de Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. This was when the run began, after two consecutive losses in the league, with that match added to the reverse against Real Sociedad. It lasted from 16th September when they trounced Basil 5-1 in the Champions League, to 4th January, the day they lost at the Mestalla, six months later.
The 22 matches won, ten at home, twelve away, have been over four competitions. Six victories in the Champions League, twelve in La Liga, two in the Club World Cup and two in the Copa del Rey. Real Madrid scored 80 goals, against just ten conceded, until Valencia hit two past them to turn the game around and put an end to the historic run.
