Wow. By the figures can hardly form complete sentences … wow! Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 8-2 to advance to the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League semi-finals. EIGHT – TWO. Here are the best figures of a crazy night of football:
1
Bayern Munich is the first team ever to score eight goals in a UCL knockout match. In fact, this is the most goals scored by Bayern Munich in every match in every stage of the UCL.
I, 1
This is Barcelona’s worst loss in European leagues. Ea.
This is also the worst loss Lionel Messi has ever suffered. The previous worst came against, and this may not be what you expect … Bolivia, in a World Cup qualifier 2009 (6-1).
3
Three coaches from a single nation (Germany) are in the UCL semi-finals for the first time as Bayern’s Hansi Flick joins RB Leipzig’s Julian Nagelsmann and PSG’s Thomas Tuchel in the last four.
4
Entering the match against Bayern, Barcelona had never scored four goals in a single UCL game in one half. Against Bayern they scored four goals in EACH half.
I, 4
Only 4 other times has a team Barcelona suffered a lesser loss than Bayern this time. In ascending order of pain, they are 8-0 against Sevilla in 1946, 11-1 against Sevilla in 1940, 11-1 against Real Madrid in 1943, and 12-1 against Athletic Bilbao in 1931.
5
It gets more damned for Barcelona, the more we move on. The last five opponents to concede eight goals against Bayern have been – St. Pauli (2011), SV Hamburger (3 times, 2013, 2015, 2017), and now FC Barcelona (2020).
I, 5
De Raumdeuter is back again! Thomas Muller has interpreted space to score five goals in five appearances against Barcelona at the UCL – only the great Andriy Shevchenko has scored so many goals against her in the competition (also five).
8
A while ago it looked like he could miss the fun, but Robert Lewandowski scored to keep his turn, there are now eight straight games scored in, in the UCL. This is the fifth time a player has scored in 8 straight games in the history of the European Cup; Cristiano Ronaldo has done it twice (8 in 2014, 11 in 2018), Ruud van Nistelrooy once (9 in 2003), and Luis Aragones once (8 in 1970).
8-7
Okay. This is the stat of the match. If ever a stat told a story, this was it. Bayern Munich scored more goals (8) than Barcelona had shot (7) this game. Did we mention ‘wow’?
9
With 9 Wins, 0 Draws, 0 Losses, Bayern are the second team in UCL history to win the first nine games in a season. The first was Barcelona in 2002-03, when they won ten right, but failed to lift the title.
I, 9
This was Barcelona’s 9th loss this season in all leagues, it’s the most in one season since 2007-08 (11 lost that season).
10
Top three scorers for Barcelona in the UCL since 2016-17: Lionel Messi (32), Luis Suarez (10), and OWN GOALS (10).
12
And this connection with the stat above. The last time Barcelona did not win a trophy was twelve years ago, in 2007-08.
I, 12
This will be Bayern Munich’s 12 UCL semi-finals, tied second-most in the history of the competition, with Barcelona. The only team with more? Real Madrid, May 13.
13
Speaking of 13, this will be the first time in 13 years (since 2006-07) that there are no Spanish clubs in the UCL semi-finals.
14
Lewandowski’s 14 goals this UCL season are tied for the 4th most goals in a single season (tied with 2011-12 vintage Lionel Messi). Only Cristiano Ronaldo has ever scored more – 17 in 2013-14, 16 in 2015-16, 15 in 2017-18.
Goals in the UCL this season:
Lewandowski: 14
Messi, Ronaldo & Mbappe combined: 12 pic.twitter.com/4FwdNEceeT– ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 14, 2020
15
This will be the first UCL semi-finals to have teams that do not have Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi in their fields in FIFTEEN years! In the 2004-05 season, AC Milan and Chelsea defeated Manchester United and Barcelona in the round of 16 respectively.
23
Thomas Muller has now scored 23 goals in the knockout stages of the Champions League, the third-most of any player, behind Cristiano Ronaldo (67) and Lionel Messi (47).
I, 23
No player has made more UCL quarter-final appearances than Messi (23). Right behind him are Gerard Pique (22) and Andres Iniesta (21). Not that Messi or Pique will ever remember this game.
26
It is conceivable that Bayern Munich had trouble under Niko Kovac in the initial stages of the season. Bayern have now scored 26 goals in Hansi Flick’s first six Champions League games. This tally is at least five more than any other manager has seen scored in his first six league games in the competition.
39
Bayern Munich have scored 39 goals in 9 games this season in the UCL, this being the 4th most in one season. Of course, all those who have scored more have played in 13+ games – Barcelona scored 45 in 16 (1999-00), Real Madrid scored 41 in 13 (2013-14), and Liverpool scored 41 in 13 (2017-18).
50
Robert Lewandowski scored his 50th Champions League goal for Bayern Munich in his 60th appearance for them in the competition. Only Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved this total in fewer games for a single side (50 appearances for Real Madrid).
1952
This is Luis Suarez’s first UCL goal away from Camp Nou, since September 2015 vs. Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. He went 1,952 minutes and 69 shots without scoring anywhere else.
(Statistics in agreement with ESPN’s Statistics & Information Group)
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