IFFHS CONTINENTAL NEWS - UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Picture : Pau Cubarsí became also the youngest defender to start in a European Cup/Champions League (since 1955) from the round of 16 onwards.He beat Giuseppe Bergomi who started with Inter at 17 years 72 days in 1981.
Statistics on Champions’ League R16 games (March 12-13)
*The game Arsenal vs Porto (1-0, then 4-2 on shootouts) became the first Champions League knockout clash in almost 8 years to have required a penalty shootout series; the last such occasion was the 2016 UCL final Atlético Madrid vs Real Madrid.
*Arsenal have finally broken their UCL curse of R16. After a run of 7 consecutive eliminations at this stage of the competition, the “Gunners” managed to progress to the quarter-finals (they lastly did it in the 2009-10 campaign).
*Arsenal have been taken to extra-time in a UCL game for just the second time, after that of 2008-09 in the R16 vs Roma (when they eventually progressed on shootouts).
*Barcelona, after 3-1 win vs Napoli, have returned to the UCL quarter-finals for the first time since 2020.
*Curiously, the last two UCL round of 16 ties that Barcelona have overcome (in 2019-20 and 2023-24) were absolutely identical in terms of opposition and score-lines: both times vs Napoli, both times 1-1 in the first leg away and then 3-1 at home.
*Robert Lewandowski has for the first time scored in two consecutive UCL games for Barcelona.
*Barcelona became the first team to start two players at once aged below 18 in a Champions League knockout stage game: Lamine Yamal (16 years 243 days) and Pau Cubarsí (17 years 50 days).
*Pau Cubarsí became the youngest ever player to debut in UCL as a starter in a knockout match.
He beat David Alaba (17 years 258 days on 9 March 2010, for Bayern vs Fiorentina, 2-3).
Victor Froholdt (Copenhagen) takes 3rd place in this ranking after his recent debut at the age of18 years 10 days on 6 March game vs Manchester City (1-3).
*Cubarsí became also the youngest defender to start in a European Cup/Champions League (since 1955) from the round of 16 onwards.
He beat Giuseppe Bergomi who started with Inter at 17 years 72 days in 1981.
*Borussia Dortmund (2-0 vs PSV) have progressed to the UCL quarter-finals for the 2nd time with Edin Terzic (also in 2020-21).
Terzic became the 3rd coach in the club history with such a success, after Ottmar Hitzfeld (two UCL quarter-finals in 1995-96 and 1996-97) and Jürgen Klopp (in 2012-13 and 2013-14).
*Atlético Madrid won the tie vs Inter (on shootouts after 2-1 in the 2nd leg) having fielded a starting lineup over 30 years old on average. The “Colchoneros” became the first Spanish team in the UCL playoff stage with a starting lineup over 30 years.
*Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid), with a goal vs Inter, has increased to 25 the number of different rivals he scored against in the Champions League. He is the 2nd Frenchman to reach that figure, after Benzema (34 different victims).
*Countries with teams in the quarterfinals of this UCL editions: Spain 3, England 2, Germany 2, France 1.