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Atletico and Madrid must scale new heights to win the league
No team has ever won all of the last seven games of a league campaign in Spain. Atlético would be aiming for 8 straight wins, Madrid, 12.
A record-breaking run which would be worth the league title. That's the challenge which Real Madrid and Atlético face if they are to usurp Barcelona and be crowned champions. Over the last 50 years, no team has managed to win all of the last eight games in any league campaign.
That is what Simeone's side will be looking to do to end the season on 90 points. As for their city neighbours Real Madrid, it's an even taller order - Zidane's side are looking to regsister 36 points from a possible 36 from their last 12 league games. The record stands at 10... the sixth best in club history.
Previous best finishes
Atlético and Real Madrid share the record for the most victories in the final stage of a league campaign - seven. José Mourinho's Real Madrid side who were the first team ever to register 100 points in 2012 won all of their last seven matches - including the Week 20 game against Athletic Club which was rescheduled for the players' strike at the start of the season.
Real Madrid strung together a similar run in 1980-1981, when Real Sociedad were crowned champions for the first time. At the time, a victory was worth two points and with seven games to go, Atlético de Madrid topped the table with a four-point lead over Barcelona. Real Sociedad were fourth and six points behind while Real Madrid were eight points adrift in seventh. Madrid and La Real ended level on 45 points but the Basques claimed the title on goal average (Madrid had beaten them 1-0 at the Bernabéu but lost 3-1 in Atocha in Week 27 just before the final sprint).
Going even further back, in 1965/66, Atlético were in third going into Week 24 (in a 16-team league with two points for a win); the Rojiblancos trailed Real Madrid by four points and Barcelona by one. Atleti gained all of the 14 points up for grabs in the run-in to the title and were proclaimed champions with a one-point advantage over Real Madrid and six points ahead of Barcelona. Just before that record run, Atlético had lost to Madrid in Week 21 and Barça the following weekend...