It was during an impressive 3-0 victory over league leaders Alaves on Saturday that Burgos goalkeeper Jose Antonio Caro, known as Churripi, surpassed ex-Barcelona keeper Claudio Bravo's Spanish record of 755 minutes without conceding a goal at the start of a season.

"When we got the record all the stadium was applauding, we had the number on the screen and in the second half we were able to keep the record in our hands," Michu says.

"It was a fantastic game and a fantastic night for us, and for the fans as well."

While many classic sides may come to mind when considering the meanest European defences of recent times, the only club on the continent yet to concede a single goal this season are far from a household name.

Spanish second division side Burgos have made a remarkable start to the campaign which, despite featuring six goalless draws, has ensured they sit within three points of top spot after nine games.

"We are thinking about survival. We know we need 50 points and we have 15," says 36-year-old Michu, who has overseen Burgos since 2019.

"But in football and in life it is all about dreaming. Survival is the objective but of course we are dreaming like all the teams."

The home fans applauded goalkeeper Churripi as his Spanish record for minutes without conceding at the start of a season was displayed on the big screen

On Wednesday the unbeaten black and whites visit Andorra, the rapidly rising club owned by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique, having gone 810 minutes without conceding this term.

That number extends to 1,017 minutes if you include the end of last season, which saw Burgos finish 11th in their first campaign of professional football for 20 years.

While the team's defensive capabilities shone through in the opening eight games, the convincing victory over an Alaves side that spent the past six years in La Liga showed Burgos also pack a punch in attack.

Although safety is once again the top priority, the supporters could be forgiven for having inflated expectations.

"We are closer to La Liga than going down and in five years we can be in La Liga if we continue to do really good things," Michu says.

"The club is doing good, the players are doing great stuff, so if we can continue this momentum for a lot of games, why not? We can do it.

"We are a small club and if you're a player here the fans will be proud of you. Everybody is giving their all and we are creating an atmosphere - and you can see it on the pitch."

Burgos goalkeeper Jose Antonio Caro surpassed Claudio Bravo's record which had stood since 2014

Michu, who helped Swansea win the League Cup in 2013, retired at 31 in 2017 because of a recurring ankle injury.

Given his first opportunity as sporting director at Langreo - then managed by his brother - the Spaniard also held the position at former club Oviedo before accepting an offer from Burgos four years ago, which he says he is "so grateful for".

"I miss football a lot but I am lucky because working in football is difficult once you finish your career," Michu says.

"When I started with pain in my ankle I began studying football. When you are a player, you do not know about all the things around the football.

"The owners gave me a lot of confidence and I have confidence in the players. It is a small club but it is a family club and, for me, it is the key of these results. We are a family here and the players give their all on the pitch, so we are really proud of them."

It remains to be seen how an unprecedented start will unfold for Burgos, who have never reached the top level of Spanish football.

If they do not concede at Andorra, Churripi will equal the second division record of 10 successive clean sheets during a season - set 52 years ago by San Andres keeper Francisco Romero.

At that point the Spanish record of 13 games without conceding - held by former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Abel Resino in 1990-91 - would be within view.

"We are doing really great. The atmosphere is really good, we are playing good football and at the last game the stadium was sold out, so we are really, really happy with these nine games," Michu says.

"We are not thinking about the record now. We are in fifth and we want to fight for three points.

"All the teams in this division are really difficult, but we are with confidence now."