What a thrilling week of European football! The UEFA Champions League delivered plenty of surprises, with underdogs Lille and Benfica pulling off stunning upsets against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, respectively. Meanwhile, Juventus staged a dramatic late comeback to defeat Leipzig, and Aston Villa marked their return to the big stage with a win over Bayern Munich.
In other matches, Arsenal cruised past Paris Saint-Germain, while Dortmund, Barcelona, Manchester City, and Inter Milan showcased their attacking prowess. Here are some of the most intriguing stats from the mid-week action:
Robert Lewandowski’s brace propelled him into elite company, joining Lionel Messi as the players with the best goal-per-game ratio in Champions League history (at least 50 goals scored). Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy trail closely behind, with Karim Benzema rounding out the top five.
This marked the first time Bayern Munich have lost a Champions League pre-knockout round match since 2017, snapping a 41-match unbeaten streak. Bruno Genesio of Lille joined an exclusive club of coaches who have beaten Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, and Carlo Ancelotti in European competition.
In a historic first, three Spanish sides – Girona, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid – lost their matches on the same day. Girona also equaled the record for most own goals conceded in a single Champions League campaign (3).
Jhon Duran’s five goals off the bench this season make him the top super-sub in Europe’s top five leagues. Mohamed Salah became the third player to score in five consecutive Champions League home games for a Premier League side, joining Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Jeremy Doku set a new record with 26 touches in the opposition box against Slovan Bratislava, the most ever recorded in a Champions League game. Lazar Samardzic of Atalanta achieved a rare feat, completing at least eight dribbles and creating at least six chances in a single match.
Barcelona’s 5-0 thrashing of Young Boys marked their tenth victory with a clean sheet in Champions League history, tying Bayern Munich for the most such wins. Pep Guardiola’s 21st victory by 4+ goals and a clean sheet in the Champions League is an impressive milestone, with only Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho having at least 10 such wins.
Robert Lewandowski’s 14th Champions League season with a goal puts him seventh on the all-time list, behind Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Thomas Muller, and Raul. Arsenal’s 17 clean sheets in 32 games this year are the most of any Premier League side, with only Real Madrid having kept more across Europe’s big-five leagues.
Endrick became Real Madrid’s youngest starter in the Champions League era, breaking Raul’s record. The club’s 36-game unbeaten streak in all competitions came to an end, their longest since a 40-game run in 2016-2017.
Erling Haaland’s pursuit of records continues, with his 42nd career Champions League goal leaving him one shy of tying Kylian Mbappe for the second-most by a player before turning 25. Robert Lewandowski’s 51 Champions League goals after turning 30 put him second on the all-time list, behind Cristiano Ronaldo’s 68.
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