Real Madrid's Record-Winning Run a Remarkable Feat in Relentless Calendar Year

So often in the Spanish capital, inside the glitzy Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid achieve records with a bang.

That's the club's style.

In line with a lavish reputation, feats involving goals, trophies, winning runs, dollars, marquee signatures and other indicators of dominance are typically accompanied by an overwhelming sense of extravagance.

You can look to any number of things: player unveilings, the Galactico history, president Florentino Perez's financial announcements, the club's trophy cabinet, the manner of the victories—extravagance is everywhere. There's so often a self-indulgence to Real Madrid. 

Interestingly, though, that script changed on Wednesday; the Champions League evening was different for that very reason. 

In edging past Basel 1-0 at St. Jakob-Park, Real Madrid equalled a club record for 15 consecutive victories, matching the streaks put together in 1960-61 and 2011-12. But the excess that typically surrounds Los Blancos wasn't anywhere to be found; a scrappy performance in a rather inconsequential contest played in quiet Switzerland was hardly the sort of environment we've grown accustomed to for Real Madrid's setting of benchmarks. 

For such an achievement, the evening's circumstances—dare I say it—were almost underwhelming.

The same can't be said for the record, though. 

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Real Madrid's last 15 games: WWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Goals scored: 57 Goals conceded: 8 pic.twitter.com/uYecs2FMHM

— GeniusFootball (@GeniusFootball) November 27, 2014"

"Making history at this club is always important," manager Carlo Ancelotti had said on Tuesday, per Marca, when questioned on the record. Though just in his second year at Real, the Italian is very much in tune with the essence of his club. 

But the making of that history, the record-equalling run (the club's benchmark will be broken should Ancelotti's men defeat Malaga on Saturday), feels as though it carries a heightened significance in 2014-15. 

Indeed, it's been a truly relentless calendar year for the European champions, who maintained last season's challenge in La Liga until the campaign's final week, went as deep as you can go in both the Champions League and Copa del Rey and contested extra matches presented by the European and Spanish Super Cups, all in a year featuring a World Cup and Euro 2016 qualifying. 

When December 31 is reached, Los Blancos will have contested 61 competitive matches domestically since January, with that total being on top of pre-season and international duties. 

Just, for a moment, consider the toll that 2014 should have taken on Real Madrid (and every other club). Consistent dominance, the sort they're enjoying now, should have proven extremely arduous. 

Yet, it hasn't. Even if it has done for their European rivals. 

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

A glance across to the UK reveals a league of supposedly elite clubs battling severely with a multitude of issues. 

For Manchester City, it's form. Across town at Manchester United, it's health. At Arsenal, well, it's both. Only Chelsea, having acquired the core of Atletico Madrid, are pushing ahead in England where the effects of a heavy 2014 can be seen (and even the Blues haven't strung together more than six consecutive wins this season). 

Despite summer spending, the standard of the Premier League's elite clubs—the majority, anyway—has suffered in a year with so many peripheral demands; the short pre-season coupled with important European qualifiers look to have impeded development. 

Elsewhere on the continent, Paris Saint-Germain haven't recaptured their pace of last season, Borussia Dortmund have fallen in a heap, Atletico have slipped marginally, Barcelona aren't what they once were and even Bayern Munich have shown vulnerabilities. 

Of course, there are extenuating circumstances at each club. But the stagnation of many outfits on the next tier as well—think Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Napoli, AC Milan, Schalke and others of that standard—has shown that 2014 has been a taxing year of unique demands. 

And yet, Real Madrid, in all their power, continue to roll on. 

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Ancelotti, however, is not one to get caught up in hyperbole. A realist, the 55-year-old is clearly aware that Real Madrid's current level will be very difficult to maintain.

"Defeat will arrive, that's clear," he said last week, per Inside Spanish Football. 

He's most likely right. But he might not be, either. Who knows?

What's most striking, though, is how Real have continued to progress on a weekly basis while so many of their European rivals have either stalled or deteriorated. Since the early weeks of the season, Los Blancos have gone from fragmented to fearsome, shrugging aside grumblings about summer transfer activity and the once-perceived imbalance of the squad to achieve improvements on every line. 

And they've done so with perhaps the most gruelling schedule of all. 

"It's a very good streak," Ancelotti said after win No. 15. "[We're] having a brilliant season."

He couldn't be more correct. And while the record was reached in rather underwhelming circumstances for the club's standards, the achievement itself is remarkable in this relentless calendar year.

Follow @TimDCollins