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Europe's longest unbeaten runs in all competitions

Real Madrid's 40-game unbeaten record came to an end on Sunday, just days after the club set a new Spanish benchmark – leaving Celtic's grip on the European record safe for now.

Europe's longest unbeaten runs in all competitions
Europe's longest unbeaten runs in all competitions ©UEFA.com

Real Madrid's long unbeaten run is over after Zinedine Zidane's side lost 2-1 at Sevilla on Sunday, two late goals denying the Liga leaders a 41st game without defeat in all competitions.

That came just three days after Madrid drew 3-3 away to the same opponents in the Copa del Rey to set a new Spanish record, and they must now start all over again if they hope to match the European benchmark.

Celtic set the standard exactly 100 years ago, their run of 62 games including two in a single day at one point. All of those fixtures came in the league, as did Union SG's tally of 60 in Belgium between 1933 and 1935.

The best record since the advent of European competition goes to Benfica. Under Lajos Czeizler and then Elek Schwartz, a side featuring Eusébio reached 48 games unbeaten between December 1963 and Valentine's Day 1965.

Eusébio
Eusébio©Getty Images

Unbeaten runs in competitive top-level matches*
 62: Celtic (SCO) 1915–17
60: Union SG (BEL) 1933–35
48: Benfica (POR) 1963–65
 45: Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) 2014–15
 43: Juventus (ITA) 2011–12
 42= Ajax (NED) 1995–96
 42= Milan (ITA) 1991–92
 40= Nottingham Forest (ENG) 1978
 40= Real Madrid (ESP) 2016–17

*We have made every effort to produce a complete list but if we've missed any teams off then let us know.