BASEL, Switzerland - Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 71st Champions League goal as Real Madrid recorded a club record-equalling 15th consecutive win by beating FC Basel 1-0 in Switzerland on Wednesday.
The Portuguese superstar converted a Karim Benzema cutback 10 minutes before half-time at the St Jakob-Park as the reigning European champions, who had already qualified for the last 16, secured first place in Group B with a fifth win in five games.
Ronaldo's goal allowed him to move level with former Madrid striker Raul as the tournament's second-top scorer of all time, three behind Lionel Messi, who broke the record with a hat-trick for Barcelona against Apoel on Tuesday.
And the goal secured their 15th consecutive victory in all competitions, a sequence that began with a 5-1 defeat of Basel at the Santiago Bernabeu in September.
Carlo Ancelotti's men have therefore equalled the record that was set by Miguel Munoz's team in 1960-1961 and then matched three seasons ago under Jose Mourinho.
"We played to our usual level, we defended well, stayed concentrated and at the end the most important thing was the victory," said Ancelotti.
Meanwhile, Basel, who had won their previous two home games, fought admirably with 17-year-old Cameroonian forward Breel Embolo proving a real handful, and despite the defeat they know that a draw with Liverpool in a fortnight will take them through to the knock-out stage.
Ronaldo, Raul now level
BASEL, Switzerland - Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 71st Champions League goal as Real Madrid recorded a club record-equalling 15th consecutive win by beating FC Basel 1-0 in Switzerland on Wednesday.
The Portuguese superstar converted a Karim Benzema cutback 10 minutes before half-time at the St Jakob-Park as the reigning European champions, who had already qualified for the last 16, secured first place in Group B with a fifth win in five games.
Ronaldo's goal allowed him to move level with former Madrid striker Raul as the tournament's second-top scorer of all time, three behind Lionel Messi, who broke the record with a hat-trick for Barcelona against Apoel on Tuesday.
And the goal secured their 15th consecutive victory in all competitions, a sequence that began with a 5-1 defeat of Basel at the Santiago Bernabeu in September.
Carlo Ancelotti's men have therefore equalled the record that was set by Miguel Munoz's team in 1960-1961 and then matched three seasons ago under Jose Mourinho.
"We played to our usual level, we defended well, stayed concentrated and at the end the most important thing was the victory," said Ancelotti.
Meanwhile, Basel, who had won their previous two home games, fought admirably with 17-year-old Cameroonian forward Breel Embolo proving a real handful, and despite the defeat they know that a draw with Liverpool in a fortnight will take them through to the knock-out stage.
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