IFFHS CONTINENTAL NEWS AND STATISTICS - UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Picture : Lewandowski became 14th player in UCL history to score for three different teams (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern, Barcelona) in the playoff stage.
Statistics on Champions’ League R16 games (February 20-21)
*Porto’s central defender Pepe became in the match against Arsenal (1-0) the oldest outfield player in the UCL playoff stage over the competition’s history (40 years 360 days).
Only 3 goal-keepers appeared in the in play-offs being older (Gianluigi Buffon, Oleksandr Shovkovskyi, Mark Schwarzer).
*On the same day, Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) set vs Napoli (1-1) the new record as youngest ever player to appear in a UCL knockout stage game (16 years 223 days).
*Napoli became the third Italian team to have 3 different coaches in a single UCL campaign (Rudi García, Walter Mazzarri and recently appointed Francesco Calzona), after Inter in 2003-04 and Roma in 2004-05.
*Napoli are also the 3rd team with 3 different coaches (not counting interim coaches) in the same UCL season that among those who reached the playoff stage, along with Real Madrid 2004-05 (Camacho, García Remón, Luxemburgo) and Chelsea 2022-23 (Tuchel, Potter, Lampard).
*Robert Lewandowski has scored Barcelona’s first goal in the UCL playoff stage in almost 3 years; the last such goal is dated back by 10 March 2021 (Lionel Messi’s goal against PSG).
*Lewandowski has also overcome Messi as the oldest goal-scorer for Barcelona in a UCL knockout game (35 years 184 days).
Messi did it, in just mentioned game, at the age of 33 years 259 days.
*Lewandowski is now the joint 3rd player in UCL history for number of his victims; he scored against 34 different rivals, as many as Karim Benzema.
Only Leo Messi (40) and Cristiano Ronaldo (39) are above him.
*Lewandowski became 14th player in UCL history to score for three different teams (Borussia Dortmund, Bayern, Barcelona) in the playoff stage.
*Victor Osimhen, with his goal for Napoli vs Barcelona, became the first Nigerian player to score 5 goals in the playoff stage in UCL history (including European Cup period).
*The Inter’s win vs Atlético (1-0) is their 9th in a row in all competitions; this is their longest winning series under Simone Inzaghi.
*Inter opened the score in all 13 their last games.
*Luuk De Jong (PSV) became in the game vs Borussia Dortmund (1-1) the 5th Dutch player to score 40 goals in European major club competitions, after Ruud van Nistelrooy (62), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (55), Patrick Kluivert (41) and Rob Rensenbrink (40).
*Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund) is the first Dutch player in the entire UCL history to score a goal against his compatriot side in a knockout match.
*6 of 8 games in UCL round of 16 first leg games came without goals at half-time.