By the numbers: Goals galore spark Champions League Matchday 5
With just one matchday remaining in Champions League group stage play, nine of the 16 knockout stage spots are now filled on the heels of Wednesday’s frenetic goal-friendly slate of matches.
Here’s a baker’s dozen of compelling numbers from a matchday that featured a total of 52 goals, with just Juventus and Barcelona playing to a scoreless stalemate:
3: Tottenham’s Harry Kane is just the third player to score eight goals in his first eight Champions League appearances, alongside Diego Costa and Didier Drogba.
4: Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas became the fourth Spaniard to notch 20 or more Champions League goals, joining Raul (71), Fernando Morientes (33), and Fernando Torres (20).
6: Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema is now the sixth player to score 40 Champions League goals in one club, alongside Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul, Alessandro Del Piero, and Thomas Muller.
7: Manchester United’s ponytailed purveyor of massive goals, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, became the first player to make a Champions League appearance for seven different clubs.
8: Eden Hazard now has eight Champions League goals after the opener Wednesday versus Qarabag, which is tops all time among Belgians in the competition.
14: Chelsea has now made the knockout stage 14 times in 15 tries, only failing to advance during the 2012-13 installment when the club would go on to win the Europa League.
18: Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a record 18 Champions League goals in the calendar year.
21: Real Madrid progressed to the knockout stage for a record 21st consecutive time.
43: CSKA Moscow shot-stopper Igor Akinfeev went 43 Champions League matches proper (November 2006 vs. Arsenal) without keeping a clean sheet prior to Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Benfica.
50: Real Madrid has now scored 50 away goals in the Champions League, a record that narrowly bests the 49 from rival Barcelona – which went scoreless in Wednesday’s visit to Juventus.
120: Lionel Messi’s substitute appearance Wednesday against Juventus was his 120th overall in the competition, level with Brazilian Roberto Carlos for most ever by a South American player.
126: Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has now made 126 Champions League appearances, surpassing Clarence Seedorf for sixth all time (Iker Casillas, 166; Xavi, 151; Cristiano Ronaldo, 145; Raul, 142; Ryan Giggs, 141).
361: Paris Saint-Germain had gone 361 minutes without conceding in the group stage before Moussa Dembele’s goal for Celtic on Wednesday found the back of the French club’s net.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
