IFFHS CONTINENTAL NEWS - UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Statistics on Champions’ League: Play-off Round, 2nd leg (February 24)
Atlético Madrid vs Club Brugge 4-1 (agg 7-4)
*Alexander Sørloth (picture) became the first Atlético Madrid player to score a hat-trick in a Champions League knockout match, and the 2nd to do so in the competition for the club in any stage, after Mario Mandžukić vs Olympiakos on 26 November 2014.
*Considering also European Cup era, Sørloth’s hat-trick is the third by Atlético Madrid player in history, including Luis Aragonés’ feat in 1970 vs Cagliari.
*In all European competitions, Atlético players scored hat-trick 9 times: also Luis Aragonés (another time), Mendonça. Gárate (poker in 1967), Manolo, Vieri and Radamel Falcao.
*Sørloth’s hat-trick is the 5th by a Norwegian player in UCL history, after those of:
Sigurd Rushfeldt (for Rosenborg in 1998-99),
Frode Johnsen (for Rosenborg in 2000-01),
Erling Haaland (for Red Bull Salzburg in 2019-20),
Erling Haaland (for Manchester City in 2022-23).
*Jan Oblak became the first goalkeeper to provide an assist (for the first of 4 Atlético’s goals) in the UCL knockout stages since Ederson for Manchester City against Schalke on 20 February 2019.
It’s the first ever Oblak’s Champions League assist.
*Atlético Madrid have last scored 7+ goals in a European Cup two-legged tie in 1958 (their 13-1 aggregate victory against Irish team Drumcondra, 8-0 in Madrid and 5-1 in Dublin).
*Atlético have already scored 24 goals (in 10 games) in this UCL edition: their 3rd best seasonal amount in the competition (including European Cup era), only 2 goals shy of the club’s record of 26 goals (in 13 games) in 2013-14 (also they scored 25 in 10 games of the 1958-59 edition).
*Atlético are unbeaten in their last 20 home Champions League knockout matches (13 wins, 7 draws), since their quarter-final 2-3 defeat to Ajax on 19 March 1997.
*Atlético have reached the Champions League round of 16 for the 11th time in the last 13 seasons.
*Atlético have conceded at least one goal in their last 10 Champions League matches: their worst defensive run in the competition's history.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Olympiakos 0-0 (agg 2-0)
*Bayer Leverkusen won their first knock-out tie in the Champions League in 24 years, since their semi-final against Manchester United in 2001-02.
*Bayer have not conceded a goal in 5 competitive matches and 495 minutes of play in front of their home crowd.
Newcastle vs Qarabag 3-2 (agg 9-3)
*Newcastle became just the third team in the UCL history to scored 2 goals in the first 6 minutes of a knockout stage match, after:
Valencia (vs Lazio in 2000, quarter-finals),
Borussia Dortmund (vs Zenit in 2014, round of 16).
*Newcastle scored 4 goals in the first 10 minutes of both legs of a Champions League knockout tie (scoring in the 3rd and 8th minutes of the first leg and in the 5th and 6th minutes of the second leg): an unprecedented feat in the competition's history.
*Qarabag’s Camilo Duran became the first Colombian player to score 5 goals in a Champions League season since Radamel Falcao with Monaco in 2016-17 (also 5).
*With this Newcastle success, as many as 6 English clubs have qualified for the Champions League round of 16 this season (also Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea): a record for a nation at this stage of the competition.