IFFHS CONTINENTAL NEWS - UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Picture : Declan Rice became the first player to score a brace of direct free kicks in a knockout stage match in the Champions League (since 1992).
Statistics on Champions’ League: Quarter-finals, 1st leg (April 8)
Arsenal vs Real Madrid 3-0
*Real Madrid have failed to score in 2 consecutive Champions League games (also 0-1 vs Atletico Madrid in th 2nd leg of Round of 16) for the first time since February-March 2009 (in the last-16 tie against Liverpool, 0-1 and 0-4).
*Real Madrid have suffered their joint-heaviest defeat in the first leg of a Champions League knockout stage tie, along with 1-4 loss at Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals in 2012-13.
*Real Madrid have broken their unbeaten series of 8 first legs in knockout stage ties in the Champions League (5 wins 3 draws); their joint-longest such run in the competition, along with 8-game run between April 2016 and February 2019.
*Real Madrid have lost 5 games in the Champions League this season, equaling their highest total of defeats in a Champions League campaign (5 in 2000-01).
*Real Madrid have still never scored against Arsenal in the history of this rivalry (they met previously in 2006, with the scores 0-1 and 0-0).
Arsenal is one of only 3 opponents Real Madrid have faced in international official competitions (and of 4 overall) without scoring a single goal (in 3 games), alongside Ipswich Town (in 2 games) and Lille (1 game).
Vasconia SC can be added to this list as the only domestic such Real Madrid’s opponent (0 goals against it scored in 1 game).
*Arsenal haven't made it past the UCL quarter-finals for 16 years.
On the other side, Real Madrid haven't lost in the quarter-finals for 21 years and have made it through 16 of their last 17 previous appearances.
Now both long runs are very close to be finally broken.
*Arsenal registered 11 shots on target; the joint-most by a team in a Champions League knockout stage game against Real Madrid (also 11 by Liverpool in March 2009).
*Declan Rice became the first player to score a brace of direct free kicks in a knockout stage match in the Champions League (since 1992).
*Arsenal have scored already 21 goals from set pieces across all competitions this season (excluding penalties); the most by any Premier League team.
*Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal) is the 2nd youngest Englishman to start in a Champions League quarter-final (18 years 194 days), after Jude Bellingham in 2021 (17 years 281 days).
*Luka Modrić (Real Madrid) is the 3rd oldest outfield player to start in a UCL quarter-final (39 years 211 days), after:
Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), in 2014 vs Bayern Munich at 40 years 123 days,
Alessandro Costacurta (Milan), in 2006 v Lyon at 39 years 339 days.
Bayern vs Inter 1-2
*Bayern have broken their streak of 7 consecutive home wins in UCL vs Italian sides (scoring at least twice in each game).
The last Italian team to win away against Bayern in the competition was again Inter, in the round of 16 in 2011 (3-2).
*Inter equalled Real Madrid for the most away wins (3) against Bayern Munich in the history of European competitions.
*Lautaro Martínez has scored his 7th goal in this UCL campaign: the joint-third highest seasonal rate in the Inter’s history in the competition, along with Adriano (2004-05) and behind only:
Hernán Crespo (9 goals in 2002-03),
Samuel Eto’o (8 goals in 2010-11).
*Lautaro Martínez extended his UCL tally to 19 goals surpassing Adriano (18) to become Inter's all-time top scorer in the competition.
*Thomas Müller scored his 28th goal in the knockout phase of the Champions League: more than 3 times as many as the 2nd-best German in this stage (Mario Gomez, 9 goals).