5 records that show it will be a mistake to write off Real Madrid

With a 3-0 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu in El Clasico, Real Madrid is now a massive 14 points behind league leaders; FC Barcelona. The defending Champions are now clearly out of the La Liga title race.

The world champions have not been very successful in Europe either, losing to Tottenham Hotspur and finishing second in their group. With a 'Round of 16' tie against favorites PSG, Los Merengues don't seem likely to defend their Champions League title either.

The famous BBC has practically been non-existent this season, with Gareth Bale suffering an injury and Benzema being completely out of form. Star man. Cristiano has been breathtaking in Europe but has managed to find the back of the net on only 4 occasions in La Liga.

With manager Zinedine Zidane stating that the club would not sign a striker this January, many believe that the season is over for the Whites, and they may just be correct.

The Spanish giants managed to win the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, but the way things are going, it may be the last trophy they win this season.

In Zidane's post-match conference after EL Clasico, the gaffer was clear in his belief 'Real Madrid will not give up', and trust me, they won't.

If it were any other club, it would be an easy bet, but this is Real Madrid we are talking about. This is the team that stole the Champions League away from their cross-town rivals, in the 93rd minute of the game.

This is a team that has suffered for 12 years without European glory and then gone on to win the continent's most elite trophy thrice in 4 years. If there's any team in world football that cannot be written off, it is Real Madrid, and here are five records to prove that.

#5 Record Goal Scoring streak (73)

Ramos scored a late equalizer at the Camp Nou last season to keep the streak alive.

Real Madrid has struggled for consistency this season, losing to Real Betis in a 1-0 defeat, playing out a goalless draw against Athletic Bilbao and losing to newly promoted Girona.

The record, however, rubbishes any criticism when it comes to consistency. Los Blancos managed to score a goal in every single game in all competitions for the entire 2016-17 season.

The goal scoring streak began in the semi-final of the 2015-16 Champions League semi-final and went on to last for 73 games on the trot. The streak included 2 El Clasicos, 2 Champions League finals, 2 European Super Cup finals and a Club World Cup final.

The mind-blowing record came to an end with a shock 1-0 defeat to Real Betis in La Liga this season, and nothing seems to have been the same since then. The match that was supposed to be a complete whitewash, saw Real struggle in front of goal throughout the 90. To add insult to injury, Zidane's men were caught on the counter late into stoppage time and found themselves at the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline.

The record is shared with Pele's Santos and involves 54 wins, 14 draws, and 5 losses. Los Merengues netted a total of 201 goals in these 73 matches, demolishing any opposition in their path.

This feat is a clear indication of what Real Madrid can do once they gain some momentum and how lethal they can be against any opposition. Zidane's men may be out of the La Liga title race, but that just means they are going to fight even harder for the 2 other trophies up for grabs.

#4 Consecutive Champions League Semi-Finals (7)

Real players celebrating Duodecima, the club's 12th UCL title

Real Madrid holds the record for the maximum consecutive appearances in the Champions League semi-finals. Los Blancos have reached the semis 7 times on the trot from 2011-17 beating Barcelona's record (6).

Clearly the most dominant force in Europe, Real are Champions League specialists. They have won Europe's elite competition a record 12 times, and are followed by A.C Milan who has won the trophy on 7 occasions.

There has been no stopping the team who became the first team to ever defend a Champions League title. Making it 3 in 4 years, Real have outclassed Europe's best on several occasions and are likely to continue doing so.

This season, Real face favorites PSG in the 'Round of 16' who have been breathtaking in all competitions. The world record signing of Neymar has been the transfer of the year and made the French giants automatic title contenders.

Unai Emery's side also signed the French sensation; Kylian Mbappe on a loan deal and the transfers are paying off. The trio of Edinson Cavani, Neymar, and Mbappe have been scoring goals for fun in France and will be looking to destroy a struggling Real.

This is not the first time Los Merengues has been up against tricky opposition in the 'Round of 16.

In the 2012-13 season, Real was up against a dominant Manchester United. The tie that saw Cristiano Ronaldo return to the Old Trafford went all the way down to the wire as Real managed to beat the English side, 3-2 on aggregate.

With Los Blancos' mentality, however, PSG are not going to have an easy time as the defending champions are going to go into this with everything they've got. If history is to be any indicator, Real may manage to defend their record and perhaps the title as well.

#3 Last season's unbeaten run

Zinedine Zidane - A legend on and off the pitch.

Zinedine Zidane's success as both a player and a gaffer is no secret. The man who can be considered a club legend began his tenure with Real Madrid in one of the most glorious ways imaginable. Winning a Champions League in his debut season wasn't his only achievement.

Zidane managed to get on to the Spanish record books by managing a side that went on to be undefeated for 40 games in all competitions. A team that struggled under Rafa Benitez, was suddenly playing some inspired football. The streak saw Los Merengues beat a record previously held by Barcelona and fall only 3 games short of Juventus' 43 games unbeaten run.

Zidane has managed to bring the best out of his players, and history has shown that. There was even a point when the gaffer had won more trophies than the number of games he lost.

Los Merengues have shown over the years, that no matter the situation, giving up is not an option.

After being down in the league, disqualified from the Copa Del Rey and seeing a manager being sacked, Real produced a record run of this sort. This is why they are not an ordinary team with ordinary players. They are fighters that don't know how to give up, and there is no way they will go down without a fight.

#2 Champions League top scorer - Cristiano Ronaldo

A team that can call upon an iconic figure like Ronaldo can never be completely ruled out

Arguably the greatest player in the history of the UCL, Cristiano Ronaldo has consistently been lethal in the Champions League. Scoring 114 goals, the Real Madrid ace is the all-time top scorer of the competition.

The boy from Madeira has won the Champions League on 4 occasions, thrice with Real and once with United. He has also been the top scorer on 6 occasions and is likely to make it 7 leading the way with 9 goals in six games for Los Blancos.

Scoring 10 goals in 5 matches last season, Cristiano played a massive role in Real Madrid's 2016-17 title-winning campaign. The Portuguese even netted a brace against Juventus in the final that helped Real Madrid win La Duodecima.

The Real Madrid number 7 has proven to rise up to the occasion and take control when Real have needed it most. From scoring the winner back in 2012 to seal the La Liga title for Los Blancos to scoring the final penalty to give Real Madrid Undecima (number 11), Cristiano has played a massive role in Madrid's recent history.

The 5 time Ballon d'Or winner also managed to single-handedly overturn a 2-0 first leg deficit by scoring a second leg hat-trick against Wolfsburg in the 2015-2016 UCL winning season.

The former Manchester United man may have had a slow start in Spain, but there seems to be no catching him in Europe. Scoring a brace in 3 out of the 6 group stage matches, Cristiano can be the man that turns this season around.

With a 'Round of 16' tie against PSG, Real Madrid will be hoping their star man can produce a few more moments of magic and help Los Merengues defend the Champions League for the third time on the trot.

#1 Never finished worse than 11th position in the League

1902 - The year when the legend of Real was born

Never in La Liga's 90-year-old history, has Real managed to finish lower than the 11th position. That is a massive achievement for any club in any league.

To consistently finish in the top half of a league table for almost a century shows the class and character of a club like no other achievement.

Football history is extremely vast and different teams have dominated different periods. From A.C Milan to Ajax to Nottingham Forrest, many clubs have had their glory days and now seem to be only shadows of their former selves. This record, however, shows why Real Madrid was crowned the club of the century.

Madridistas have seen their side of struggle but have also seen them manage to overcome it every single time. The league might be out of the question, but no point difference is enough to break the Madridista spirit that runs in of those players.

You might not see a league comeback, but what you will definitely see is 11 players run onto the field every week and fight with the same passion they always have.

They are not playing for the league anymore, maybe not even for the fans, maybe not even for themselves, but they are playing for that badge on their chest, and no position on that table is going to be low enough for them to give up.

This is Los Blancos, a team that has never had a horrible season. Their worst has been a mid-table finish and that is what makes them the most successful in history, and you cannot write off the most successful club in history.