MADRID: Zinedine Zidane has matched another feat by Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.

With two first-half goals by Cristiano Ronaldo, Zidane’s Real defeated Sporting Gijon 2-1 in La Liga on Saturday to equal the 31-game unbeaten run by Ancelotti’s team in the 2013-14 season.

Zidane already matched the former Real manager by winning the Champions League last season, a title Ancelotti won with the Spanish powerhouses in 2014, when Zidane was an assistant coach.

“This is positive, but it’s not my individual achievement,” Zidane said. “It’s an achievement by the whole team.”

Saturday’s win in pouring rain at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium — thanks in part to a late penalty kick missed by Sporting — also gave Real a six-point lead over Sevilla, who jumped to second place by defeating Valencia 2-1.

Ronaldo put Real ahead from the spot in the fifth minute and dived in to head the second in the 18th, claiming his eighth goal in four league games to go top of the scoring charts with 10 strikes this season.

However, Carlos Carmona halved Sporting’s deficit 10 minutes before half-time and the struggling visitors were handed a huge chance for an unexpected point 12 minutes from time when Nacho brought down Victor Rodriguez.

Yet, Cop sent his penalty high and wide as Real held on.

Published in Dawn November 28th, 2016