Real Madrid vs Ludogorets preview - Real Madrid targeting record books

Posted Tuesday, December 09, 2014 by PA

The record books beckon once again for Real Madrid as they host Ludogorets in the Champions League looking to make it an incredible 19 successive wins in all competitions.

Saturday's 3-0 triumph over Celta Vigo saw Madrid equal the all-time record by a Spanish team of 18 consecutive victories, set by Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona side in 2005 and 2006, and now only Ludogorets stand between them and another place in history.

The Bulgarian side currently prop up Group B but still have a chance of getting into the Europa League if they can pick something up at the Bernabeu, and Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is warning his side not to let their guard down.

"The key will be to play with intensity. We know that they are going to fight and look to have a good game, and we have to be ready for this," he said at his pre-match press conferee.

"In the first meeting they were very fast up front with a very dangerous counter-attack."

If Madrid do overcome Ludogorets, it would be yet another record smashed by Ancelotti's all-conquering side in recent weeks.

They claimed a club record of successive wins last month, while against Celta this weekend Cristiano Ronaldo broke new Primera Division ground by scoring his 23rd hat-trick in La Liga.

Ronaldo also brought up his 200th league goal for Madrid in that match, and has now netted 201 times in just 178 appearances.

It is an astonishing record and Ancelotti said the B£80million man deserves all the praise he gets.

The Italian said: "What can you say? He's fantastic and incredible. He's doing what nobody could imagine and I think that he's going to keep it going because he has extraordinary motivation for himself, his team-mates, the club and the fans. We all help him to have that motivation at its maximum."

Madrid, who are the only side in this season's Champions League still boasting a 100 per cent record and are already assured of finishing top of Group B, will be without summer signing James Rodriguez on Tuesday after he picked up a leg injury against Celta.

Luka Modric and Sami Khedira are also not fit to feature, while Sergio Ramos serves a one-match suspension,

Ludogorets threatened an upset in the first meeting between the two when they took an early lead through Marcelinho in Sofia, but Ronaldo equalised from the penalty spot before Karim Benzema notched a 77-minute winner for the reigning European champions.

That will give Georgi Dermendzhiev's men confidence heading to Spain, as will their impressive domestic form, which has seen them record six wins and two draws in their last eight matches - with their latest two results being by a combined 9-1 scoreline.

The Razgrad side are now just two points behind leaders CSKA Sofia in the Bulgarian top flight, and are also still alive in Europe with the outside chance of snatching third place if results go their way on Tuesday.

A victory at the Bernabeu would guarantee them a Europa League berth, while a draw combined with a Liverpool defeat to Basle would also be enough for them to finish third.