The UEFA Champions League round-of-16 matches have brought intense action and some surprising outcomes. Let's dive into the best stats from these thrilling encounters, as ESPN's By The Numbers provides us with fascinating insights.
Firstly, we witnessed a rare occurrence as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) managed a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad without facing a single shot on target. This was only the second time in a knockout stage match that PSG accomplished this feat, with the first instance happening against Real Madrid in the 2021/22 season. On the other hand, Bayern Munich also failed to record a shot on goal in their match, a first for the team since their 2019 encounter with Liverpool.
Interestingly, Bayern Munich's 17 attempts on goal without registering a shot on target is the highest number recorded by a team in a Champions League match since the 2010-11 season. Despite this, Lazio stunned Bayern Munich with a 1-0 victory, becoming the first Italian team to defeat Bayern in a European competition since Inter Milan in 2011.
In another notable statistic, Magnus Mattsson's goal for Copenhagen against Manchester City marked the first time a Danish club has scored in the knockout stage of the Champions League. It is a significant milestone for Danish football.
On Valentine's Day, Dayot Upamecano of Bayern Munich became only the third player in Champions League history to receive a red card during a match played on this romantic day. Roque Junior (2001, Milan vs PSG) and Benjamin Pavard (2023, Bayern Munich vs PSG) were the previous recipients of this unfortunate distinction.
Real Sociedad's struggles in front of goal continued as they failed to score for the fifth consecutive game in all competitions, a feat they last accomplished back in February-March 1973. Manchester City, on the other hand, created their own record by becoming the first team in Champions League history to score three or more goals in seven consecutive matches.
Kylian Mbappe continues to dazzle on the European stage. With his goal against Real Sociedad, he has now scored eight goals in eight Champions League games against Spanish opponents. This achievement puts him on par with his goal tally against German clubs, making them the joint-highest number of goals he has scored against clubs from a specific country.
Furthermore, Mbappe has entered the history books by becoming the first player to score in 10 consecutive home matches in the Champions League. His incredible form this season has seen him involved in 38 goals in just 30 appearances across all competitions, the highest tally among players in Europe's top five leagues.
It's also worth mentioning Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, who have consistently performed in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Both players have scored their last 10 goals exclusively in knockout matches. Only Karim Benzema, with a run of 14 consecutive knockout goals, has a longer streak during the same period.
Looking back at the managerial statistics, Thomas Tuchel, the current Bayern Munich coach, has already suffered as many defeats as his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann, despite coaching significantly fewer games. Tuchel has lost 10 of his 43 competitive matches, highlighting the challenges Bayern has faced this season.
Lastly, Kylian Mbappe surpassed Raul's record by scoring his 44th Champions League goal before the age of 25. However, Lionel Messi still reigns supreme with a remarkable 59 goals in the competition.
These statistics not only reflect the excitement and unpredictability of the UEFA Champions League but also highlight the individual brilliance and team performances that make this tournament so enthralling. With more matches yet to come, fans can look forward to more thrilling encounters and potentially historic moments as the competition unfolds.
