The UEFA Champions League never fails to deliver drama, and the latest matchweek was no exception. From big clubs stumbling to milestones reached and unbeaten streaks ending, European football’s premier club competition provided plenty of talking points. Let’s dive into the key stats and stories that defined an unforgettable round of matches.
Lewandowski Closes In On 100 Goals
Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski continued his scintillating form, scoring his 19th goal of the season across all competitions in a 5-0 thrashing of Crvena Zvezda. The Polish striker also moved to 99 Champions League goals, just one shy of becoming only the third player to reach a century of strikes in the competition after Cristiano Ronaldo (140) and Lionel Messi (129).
Vinicius Making His Mark
Despite Real Madrid’s shock home loss to AC Milan, Vinicius Junior continued his emergence as a Champions League star. The Brazilian has netted 8 times in his last 10 matches in the competition, more than any other player during that span.
City’s Unbeaten Run Ends
Manchester City’s remarkable 26-game unbeaten streak in the Champions League, the longest in the competition’s history, came to a crashing halt in a 4-1 defeat at Sporting CP. It was only the third time a Pep Guardiola side has conceded four goals in Europe’s top club tournament.
Gyokeres Hat-Trick Hero
Sporting’s Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres was the star of their stunning upset, becoming only the second player from his country after Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score a Champions League hat-trick. Gyokeres now has 5 goals and 1 assist, the highest combined total of any player in this season’s competition.
Celtic Keeper’s Birthday Milestone
At 38 years old, Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel joined former Arsenal shot-stopper David Seaman as the joint-oldest player to feature in a Champions League match on their birthday when he started against Real Sociedad.
Inter and Atalanta’s Defensive Prowess
Italian clubs Inter Milan and Atalanta both maintained their perfect defensive records in the competition so far this season. They are the only teams yet to concede a goal in the 2024/25 Champions League campaign.
Unwanted History For Real
Real Madrid’s 3-1 defeat to Milan on home soil marked the first time they have lost consecutive matches at the Santiago Bernabeu while conceding three or more goals in each game since May 2009. The last time it happened, they fell 6-2 to Barcelona and 3-1 to Mallorca.
Looking Ahead
The Champions League group stage has reached its midway point, with plenty still to play for. Liverpool top the table as the only team with four wins from four, while traditional powers like Real Madrid have work to do to secure knockout stage places. The next round of fixtures sees the Blancos face tricky trips to Anfield and Atalanta.
This Champions League season is living up to its reputation as the most unpredictable and exciting club football tournament in the world. With records being broken, giants being humbled, and new stars emerging, the drama shows no signs of letting up. Buckle up for more unforgettable European nights ahead.
