2 years ago
Since the 2017-18 season, five players have scored the most goals in the Champions League knockout stages.
The UEFA Champions League is the most successful club competition in Europe. The tournament brings together the greatest teams from all of Africa's domestic top-flight divisions.
We've reached the season's quarterfinal round, and some of Europe's best teams have already qualified for the semi-finals.
The Champions League gives the game's biggest names a chance to shine.
Leaders are born and history is written when the stakes are high. Success in high-pressure situations, in addition to technical ability, needs a large amount of mental toughness.The Champions League knockout stages are the kind of stage where the best players in the world shine and carve out a niche for themselves.
Let's take a look at the top five scorers in the Champions League knockout stages since the 2017-18 season.
5. Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski (12 goals)
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is arguably the best striker in the world right now. He's been a prolific goal scorer for both club and country for years, and this season has been no exception.
Lewandowski was the top scorer in the 2019-20 Champions League with 15 goals. His goal-scoring prowess propelled the Bavarians to the European title that season.Lewandowski has 12 goals in the Champions League knockout stages since the 2017-18 season.
Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) is in fourth place with 12 goals.
Lionel Messi has won the Champions League four times. He is the second most prolific goalscorer in Europe's top level, with 125 goals in 156 appearances.
In the first leg of PSG's quarter-final tie this season, Messi missed a penalty kick. He has 12 goals in 17 Champions League knockout matches in the last five years.
Sadio Mane (Liverpool) is third with 13 goals.
Sadio Mane scored in Liverpool's 3-1 win over Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final match earlier this week. He now has 13 knockout-stage goals in the last five years with this goal.
In the 2017-18 season, Mane was a major part of Liverpool's run to the Champions League final. He helped Liverpool win the Premier League,Mane has appeared in 23 Champions League knockout stages in the last five years. This is a fair representation of Liverpool's recent tournament performances under Jurgen Klopp.
2. Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo (13 goals)
Cristiano Ronaldo was Manchester United's standout performer in the Champions League group stages this season. He helped them get past the group stage by scoring a number of crucial goals, including late triumphs, and making a number of remarkable saves.
In the knockout stages, however, Ronaldo was unable to repeat his triumph, as Manchester United lost 2-1 on aggregate to Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16. the following season.Ronaldo was the tournament's top scorer with 15 goals as Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2017-18. He has made 17 knockout stage appearances and scored 13 goals in the last five years.
1. Real Madrid's Karim Benzema (13 goals)
This season, Karim Benzema has been a man on a mission for Real Madrid. The Frenchman has been playing some of his greatest football of his career in recent years. Benzema scored a hat-trick in 17 minutes to help Real Madrid beat PSG 3-2 on aggregate in their Round of 16 match last month.On Wednesday night, he scored another hat-trick in the first leg of the quarter-final against Chelsea. Benzema has 13 goals in 15 Champions League knockout stage appearances in the last five years.
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