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Real Madrid chase 100 points in La Liga

By Goal.com
Sports News Real Madrid chase 100 points in La Liga
MAY 13, 2012 LISTEN

With Real Madrid already crowned champions of La Liga and neighbours Atletico sealing Europa League glory via victory over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, football now takes a back seat to tennis in the Spanish capital as the Madrid Masters reaches its climax this weekend.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Mallorca meet at the Santiago Bernabeu for what is essentially a 'dead rubber' for the home side. But try telling that to Jose Mourinho's men or, for that matter, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Madrid were guaranteed first place in the standings some 10 days ago after beating Bilbao 3-0 at San Mames, but the islanders are likely to need a result in order to qualify for next season's Europa League following a successful second half of the season under Joaquin Caparros.

The fact that Madrid have little to play would ordinarily represent a boost for the visiting side, but the locals are likely to have other ideas.

Real Madrid can make history on Sunday by becoming the first team in the history of Spanish football (and Europe's biggest leagues) to reach 100 points in a season. Barcelona managed 99 in Pep Guardiola's second season as Madrid claimed 96 under Manuel Pellegrini, but no side has been able to get to three figures. Until now.

Mourinho claimed on Saturday that his side's numbers from the current campaign will be impossible to surpass for any team (including his own) in the future. And if they can secure the three points they need to get to three figures on Sunday, the record is likely to stand for a very, very long time.

And then there's Ronaldo. Should he score on Sunday, the Portuguese will become the first footballer in the history of La Liga to net versus every single one of the other 19 teams in a Primera Division campaign. Ronaldo has hit 45 goals so far in Liga and seeks his 60th of the season as he currently sits on 59. He cannot catch Lionel Messi (on 72 in all competitions) overall and is unlikely to do so in the race for the Pichichi prize (the Barca forward has 50 league goals this term) but not even the Argentine has managed to net against everyone else this term (the 24-year-old has registered against all of his side's rivals bar Sporting Gijon and Madrid in this season's championship).

Here is a look at some of Madrid's incredible numbers from the current campaign and more milestones which can be achieved on Sunday. Dead rubber for Real? No chance.

19 - Score against Mallorca and Ronaldo will have netted against every single one of his side's Primera Division rivals in 2011-12.

32 - Win on Sunday and Mourinho's men will end La Liga with a record 32 wins out of 38. The league title claimed recently was also the 32nd in the 110-year history of Real Madrid.

60 - Net on Sunday and Ronaldo will reach 60 goals in all competitions this term, seven better than his total from 2010-11.

100 - Beat Mallorca at the Bernabeu and Madrid will become the first side in Spain and Europe's major leagues to end a season with a century of points.

117 - Madrid have already set a new goals record in La Liga this term after breaking the 107 scored by John Toshack's side in 1989-90. Real are three goals better off than Barca (who also broke the previous mark) with 117 so far and will look to build on that total against the islanders.


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