The Champions League knockout stages get underway this week as the continent’s remaining 16 clubs battle it out for first-leg supremacy in the last-16.
There are some cracking match-ups to look forward to which are sure to deliver plenty of drama, with several players and teams on the verge of some notable milestones and records.
Here are some of the standout stats that could be set this week.
Stats you might see
Galatasaray vs Liverpool
- Mo Salah needs one more goal to become the first African player to score 50 Champions League goals.
Mo Salah has scored in consecutive games for Liverpool – both against Wolves – for the first time since late October/early November, which should give him confidence heading into Tuesday’s last-16 first-leg away to Galatasaray, where he’ll be aiming to add to his two Champions League goals this season.
Salah’s goal in the 6-0 demolition of Qarabag brought him just one shy of becoming the first African player to reach 50 Champions League goals, meaning he has history in his sights in Turkey. If he scores that landmark goal he will break into the top-10 alongside Thierry Henry.
Atalanta vs Bayern Munich
- Harry Kane (48) needs two more goals to become the first English player to reach 50 Champions League goals.
Like Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane (48) is also closing in on the milestone of 50 Champions League goals.
Kane, who has scored 37 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions this season, is currently the third-highest scorer in this season’s Champions League with eight goals. If he scores twice (or more) away to Atalanta on Tuesday, he will make history by becoming the first English player to reach the 50-goal mark in the Champions League.
Kane’s Bayern Munich CV already boasts 27 Champions League goals in just 33 matches, while he can draw on a fantastic record at this stage of the competition, having found the back of the net in Bayern’s last three round-of-16 matches, scoring five goals across those games.
Newcastle vs Barcelona
- If Lamine Yamal (18 years and 240 days) plays at St James’ Park he will become the youngest player to reach 30 appearances in the Champions League.
A Marcus Rashford brace inspired Barcelona to a 2-1 win at St James’ Park during the league phase, now the teams meet again in the last-16, with the Blaugrana bidding to progress from their sixth straight round-of-16 tie against English clubs.
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal (18 years, 240 days), who has six goal involvements in the competition this season, will make history if he features against the Toon. The Spaniard needs just one more appearance to become the youngest player ever to reach 30 Champions League games, which would see him surpass the record currently held by Warren Zaïre-Emery (19 years, 227 days).
Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham
- Tottenham will be looking to become the first club ever to beat Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid in a Champions League knockout stage home game.
Tottenham’s season hit a new low last week when they lost 3-1 at home to Crystal Palace, which was their club-record eleventh Premier League game without a win.
However, it’s been a different story in the Champions League where they won five of their eight games to finish the league phase in 4th.
The competition really starts to heat up this week and Spurs will need to do something that no club has ever done before: beat Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid in a Champions League knockout home game. The Spanish side have remarkably gone 19 games unbeaten (13W 6D) across all of his games at their old stadium (Vicente Calderón) and their current home (Riyadh Air Metropolitano).
Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal
- Arsenal are on the hunt for a club-record extending ninth consecutive Champions League win, which would move them to within one win of Manchester City’s record 10 game winning streak.
Arsenal recorded a perfect eight wins from eight games in the league phase of the competition, finishing top of the table ahead of Bayern Munich. The Gunners will now face another German opponent in Bayer Leverkusen, with the first leg taking place at the BayArena on Wednesday evening.
Victory away to Leverkusen would extend their club record streak to nine straight Champions League wins, which would move Mikel Arteta’s side to within one win of Manchester City’s record 10-game winning run in the competition.
Meanwhile, Arsenal will also be looking to maintain their 100% record of opening the scoring in every Champions League game this season.
PSG vs Chelsea
- If a goal is scored in PSG vs Chelsea it will extend the French side’s remarkable run to 59 straight Champions League matches without a goalless draw.
Defending champions PSG are preparing for their 14th successive appearance at this stage of the competition, a run that includes a 4-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea in 2015–16.
PSG head into their latest last-16 meeting with Chelsea as favourites, though they are unlikely to underestimate their opponents after suffering a 3-0 defeat to them in last summer’s Club World Cup final.
If its goals you are after this week, then this game could be your best bet: If either side scores on Wednesday, it will extend PSG’s remarkable run to 59 consecutive Champions League matches without a goalless draw.
Real Madrid vs Man City
- Erling Haaland needs one more goal to go joint 7th alongside Thomas Muller in the all time Champions League top goalscorers chart.
It’s a case of deja vu between Real Madrid and Manchester City who clash in the Champions League knockout stages for the fifth straight season. They’ve already met once this season, with City claiming a 2-1 win at the Bernabeu, but it’s Real who have conquered the last two knockout stage ties between the teams.
Erling Haaland has scored seven goals in eight Champions League games this season which has soared his overall tally in the competition to 56 goals in 56 games. This puts the striker level with Ruud van Nistelrooy in the all-time standings and just one goal off Thomas Muller in 7th spot.
Bodø/Glimt vs Sporting CP
- Bodø/Glimt will extend their Norwegian record to five straight Champions League wins if they triumph at home to Sporting CP.
Bodø/Glimt and Sporting CP may both be quietly pleased with how the last-16 draw unfolded, as they prepare to meet in the first-ever two-legged European Cup/Champions League tie between Norwegian and Portuguese clubs.
Bodø/Glimt are enjoying a fairytale run, having caught the eye with four consecutive wins. They stunned Manchester City (3-1) and Atletico Madrid (2-1) in their final two league-phase matches before securing back-to-back victories over last season’s runners-up Inter Milan in the last-16.
Those results set a new Norwegian record of four straight Champions League wins, which they could extend to five with a home victory over Sporting CP on Wednesday.
