Real set new Spanish record of 19 successive wins post thrashing Ludogorets to reach CL last 16

Real Madrid thrashed Ludogorets 4-0 to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League as they set a new Spanish record of 19 successive wins.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty to register his 72nd Champions League goal, before Gareth Bale climbed to head the holders' second. Defender Alvaro Arbeloa tripled the lead for Real, before substitute Alvaro Medran, who replaced Bale after the Welshman suffered a bloodied nose, completed the scoring.

Bale sustained the injury in a collision with defender Georgi Terziev as he burst into the penalty area, but the injury looks unlikely to keep the Welsh wizard sidelined for any significant time, The BBC reported.

Real's unbeaten run stretches back to the 5-1 victory over Basel in their opening Champions League Group C game on 16 September and surpasses the 18-game mark set by Barcelona in 2005-06 season.

Real, whose perfect record of six wins from six Group C games ensures them a draw against one of the other group's runners-up in the knockout stages, play Almeria on Friday, before setting off for the Club World Cup in Morocco, the report added.