When will Real Madrid's stunning run come to an end? Tuesday night saw 'Los Galacticos' stroll to an incredible 21st consecutive win in all competitions with a comfortable 0-4 win in the semi-final of the Club World Cup against Mexican side Cruz Azul. Carlo Ancelotti's side could even afford the luxury of allowing the world's best player Cristiano Ronaldo a rare night off the score sheet. I will be shocked if the Portuguese superstar doesn't claim the Ballon d'Or for a second consecutive year, but will be even more amazed if Real don't authenticate their tag as being the best club side on the planet by defeating San Lorenzo on Saturday night.
The manager deserves an enormous amount of credit in turning this Real Madrid side into a powerhouse that at present seems infallible. He may have a wealth of talent at his disposal and enviable amounts of money to bring almost any individual he wants to the Bernabeu, but in doing so he has had to bridge a great divide that separated Real from Barcelona's golden generation as well as bringing instant success to the world's richest Football club.
Prior to Ancelotti's arrival Barcelona had dominated their arch-rivals for a number of years when their magical side enjoyed success after success culminating in them attaining what seemed an unreachable Spanish record of 18 consecutive wins. The Italian has worked wonders moulding a team of riches into a team into the most feared side in the world, winning the Copa Del Rey and ending Madrid's prolonged pursuit of 'La Decima' - the tenth time the whites of Madrid have lifted the European Cup.
Real's winning streak doesn't look like coming to an end anytime soon and they look set to break the world record of 24 consecutive wins set by Brazilian side Coritiba FC in 2011. They must surely now be targeting a La Liga and Champions League double - this would see them become the first team to retain the Champions League since it was renamed in 1992. This winning streak will not go on forever, but make no mistake - this is an extraordinary group of players.
